By: José Niño
History has shown that the party out of power makes serious gains during midterm elections. Currently, Republicans are not only expected to gain seats in the 2022 midterms, but also to take over both chambers of Congress.
In so doing, Republicans will have new leaders in the House and Senate. For the House, California Congressman Kevin McCarthy is rumored to be the new House Speaker.
McCarthy is no champion of the Second Amendment who will go to great lengths to defend the right to bear arms, much less use his political capital to expand gun rights; however, it looks as though McCarthy may not be so zealous about passing gun control, either. Breitbart News interviewed McCarthy on the issues he will prioritize if he becomes House Speaker.
McCarthy promised that in the event he becomes speaker, he would not entertain gun control legislation:
“One thing I’ve learned is the Second Amendment is one of the most important amendments, and you look at all my voting record. Listen, you watch this Congress itself—we believe in the Constitution.”
McCarthy’s statements are good to hear. Experience, though, has taught Second Amendment supporters that Republicans will say anything to get elected, but will sell out if given the opportunity.
The key to keeping McCarthy in line is the use of grassroots pressure. Second Amendment organizations will need to watch McCarthy like a hawk and hold him accountable, should he attain the position of Speaker.
Failure to keep McCarthy under the microscope will likely result in him and his colleagues compromising on Second Amendment items. Even worse, by giving too much trust to McCarthy and his Republican peers, they may be incentivized to sell out.
This scenario is all-too familiar in gun politics and can only be prevented through strong grassroots lobbying that keeps Republicans accountable.
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.