The National Rifle Association (NRA), the main pro-gun lobbying body in the United States, is due to hold its 2022 annual meeting in Houston, Texas on Friday, bringing together its members. high-profile and several notable conservatives, including former President Donald Trump.
The NRA’s annual meeting was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this year the organization is moving forward with its plans.
The meeting will be held at a time when both gun rights and the organization itself are under intense scrutiny, especially after the shooting that killed 21 people, including 19 children, at a Texas elementary school on Tuesday.
Here’s what we know about the 2022 annual meeting.
When is the meeting?
The 2022 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibition is scheduled to take place May 27-29, according to the event’s website. The leadership forum, which the organization calls “one of the most politically significant and popular events in the country”, will take place on Friday afternoon.
Where is the date?
The leadership forum will be held at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, the same location where the 2021 annual meeting was scheduled to take place.
Who can attend the meeting?
The annual meeting is open to NRA members only. The organization currently has more than five million members, according to its website.
Who are this year’s speakers?
Friday’s meeting will feature comments from eight people, including NRA chief Wayne LaPierre and Jason Ouimet, executive director of the group’s lobbying arm, according to the event’s website.
Trump will also speak at the event. The former president, who has maintained a close relationship with the gun lobby and its activists throughout his presidency, spoke at the 2019 event, which marked his fifth consecutive speech at the meeting.
In addition to Trump, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Republican Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw are also scheduled to speak on Friday.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, both Republicans, will also attend the event.
What are the security measures?
The NRA said that since Trump will be at the event, the US Secret Service will “take control of the General Assembly Hall and the entrance.” Participants are prohibited from bringing “firearms, firearm accessories, knives and other items”, including backpacks and selfie sticks.
What has happened since the 2019 meeting?
The event will come at a time when gun rights and the NRA are under intense public scrutiny, with gun control activists turning their attention to the organization this week after an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. at an elementary school in Texas.
The NRA condemned the shooting in a statement on Wednesday, calling it a “horrible and evil crime”.
“While an investigation is ongoing and the facts are still emerging, we recognize that this was the act of a lone and deranged criminal,” the group said.
“As we gather in Houston, let’s reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools safe.”
The massacre is the deadliest at a school since the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut in 2012, which left 26 people dead, including 20 children aged between 6 and 7.
The NRA has also struggled to hold its own after New York Attorney General Letitia James called for the NRA to be dissolved for allegedly misusing charitable funds.
In March, a New York State Supreme Court judge blocked James’ attempt to dissolve the organization, but allowed the process to move forward.
And the NRA is also awaiting a Supreme Court decision in the biggest Second Amendment case in more than a decade. The judges will consider a New York law enacted more than a century ago that imposes restrictions on carrying a concealed weapon outside the home.
What happened at the last annual meeting?
At the 2019 annual meeting, Trump announced he would not ratify a United Nations arms trade treaty and then signed a message to the Senate before an audience of NRA leaders.
The meeting was also important because then-NRA President Oliver North told members he would not be reappointed to the post after a dispute with LaPierre.
Already a controversial figure due to his involvement in the 1980s Iran arms sales scandal, North joined the NRA at a critical juncture amid fresh gun control calls following the school shooting in Parkland, New York. Florida in 2017.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
