Institute for Legislative Action

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The Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association of America.[1]

Members of Congress have ranked the NRA as the most powerful lobbying organization in the country several years in a row.[2] Opponents of the organization accuse it of unduly influencing political appointments.[3] Chris W. Cox is the NRA's chief lobbyist and principal political strategist, a position he has held since 2002.

Koch Wiki

Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, the NRA spent $10 million.[4] In 2011, the organization refused an offer to discuss gun control with U.S. President Barack Obama. In response to the invitation, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said "Why should I or the N.R.A. go sit down with a group of people that have spent a lifetime trying to destroy the Second Amendment in the United States?" In his statement, LaPierre named Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (both Democrats) as examples of the "people" he referred to.[5]


In 1997 Mary Sue Faulkner, the Deputy Director and National Spokesperson in the Public Relations and Communications Division of both the National Rifle Association and the Institute for Legislative Action in Washington DC. applied or the position as Vice President and Communications Director of the Tobacco Institute. [1] [2]


References

  1. Organization website, About NRA-ILA Institute for Legislative Action, accessed on September 17, 2012
  2. "FORTUNE Releases Annual Survey of Most Powerful Lobbying Organizations" TimeWarner.com, November 15, 1999
  3. Center for Defense Information, "Power of NRA Showcased in U.S. Delegation to Small Arms Conference" Common Dreams, June 26, 2006
  4. Eunice Moscoso, "NRA campaign against Obama carries $10 million price tag," Palm Beach Post, October 21, 2008)
  5. Jackie Calmes, "N.R.A. Declines to Meet With Obama on Gun Policy" New York Times, March 15, 2011