Here are all the Congresspeople who took NRA money and tweeted prayers for Orlando
The members of Congress sent their thoughts and prayers for the victims of the shooting in Orlando all day.
And yet we know this truth: these shootings don’t happen in other industrialized nations with the astonishing regularity that they do here. These shootings happen most often here, where assault rifles like the AR-15 used in mass killing after mass killing are easier to buy than a ticket on an airplane.
Our gun laws are the result of our constitution, an atypical history of gun ownership, and the relentless lobbying of gun advocacy groups like the National Rifle Association.
The NRA gave money to 40% of the current members of Congress in the 2014 election cycle, according to opensecrets.org. That’s 193 U.S. Representatives and 20 U.S. Senators. Of those, 116 have both received contributions from the NRA and offered their prayers to the victims of the shootings in Orlando.
If you’ve been on Twitter in the wake of the shooting, you might have seen one of the many tweets from Igor Volsky of the Center for American Progress Action Fund pointing out this painful contradiction, one tweet at a time.
Here is the complete list of people who need to hear that we want #policychangeforOrlando not solely #prayforOrlando.
Note: The totals below reflect only campaign contributions in the last cycle and do not include prior contributions or independent expenditures on campaign communication, which are often much greater.
Last updated: 7pm, Sunday, June 12, 2016
Members U.S. Senate
| Recipient | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cassidy, Bill (R-LA) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Cornyn, John (R-TX) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Cotton, Tom (R-AR) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Ernst, Joni (R-IA) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Gardner, Cory (R-CO) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Lankford, James (R-OK) | $4,500 | View message on Twitter |
| McConnell, Mitch (R-KY) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Roberts, Pat (R-KS) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Rounds, Mike (R-SD) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Scott, Tim (R-SC) | $8,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Sullivan, Dan (R-AK) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Tillis, Thom (R-NC) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Ayotte, Kelly (R – NH) | $4,950 (2016) | View message on Twitter |
| Burr, Richard (R – NC) | $4,950 (2016) | View message on Twitter |
Members U.S. House of Representatives
| Recipient | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Barletta, Lou (R-PA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Bishop, Mike (R-MI) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Black, Diane (R-TN) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN) | $6,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Blum, Rod (R-IA) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Bost, Mike (R-IL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Brady, Kevin (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Brat, Dave (R-VA) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Brooks, Susan (R-IN) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Bucshon, Larry (R-IN) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Burgess, Michael (R-TX) | $1,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Byrne, Bradley (R-AL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Calvert, Ken (R-CA) | $4,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Chaffetz, Jason (R-UT) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Coffman, Mike (R-CO) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Cole, Tom (R-OK) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Comstock, Barbara (R-VA) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Cook, Paul (R-CA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Crawford, Rick (R-AR) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Crenshaw, Ander (R-FL) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Cuellar, Henry (D-TX) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Culberson, John (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Curbelo, Carlos (R-FL) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Davis, Rodney (R-IL) | $7,450 | View message on Twitter |
| Dent, Charlie (R-PA) | $1,500 | View message on Twitter |
| DeSantis, Ron (R-FL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Duncan, Jeff (R-SC) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Ellmers, Renee (R-NC) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Emmer, Tom (R-MN) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Farenthold, Blake (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Fleischmann, Chuck (R-TN) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Fleming, John (R-LA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Flores, Bill (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Foxx, Virginia (R-NC) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Franks, Trent (R-AZ) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Goodlatte, Bob (R-VA) | $9,900 | View message on Twitter |
| Harris, Andy (R-MD) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Hartzler, Vicky (R-MO) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Heck, Joe (R-NV) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Hensarling, Jeb (R-TX) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Hill, French (R-AR) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Hudson, Richard (R-NC) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Huelskamp, Tim (R-KS) | $2,150 | View message on Twitter |
| Huizenga, Bill (R-MI) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Hurd, Will (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Issa, Darrell (R-CA) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Jenkins, Lynn (R-KS) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Johnson, Bill (R-OH) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Jolly, David (R-FL) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Joyce, David P (R-OH) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Kelly, Mike (R-PA) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Kinzinger, Adam (R-IL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Kline, John (R-MN) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Marino, Tom (R-PA) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| McCarthy, Kevin (R-CA) | $5,000 | View message on Twitter |
| McCaul, Michael (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| McKinley, David (R-WV) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| McMorris Rodgers, Cathy (R-WA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| McSally, Martha (R-AZ) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Meadows, Mark R (R-NC) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Moolenaar, John (R-MI) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Mooney, Alex (R-WV) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Noem, Kristi (R-SD) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Olson, Pete (R-TX) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Palmer, Gary (R-AL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Paulsen, Erik (R-MN) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Perry, Scott (R-PA) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Poe, Ted (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Pompeo, Mike (R-KS) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Posey, Bill (R-FL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Price, Tom (R-GA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Ratcliffe, John Lee (R-TX) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Reichert, Dave (R-WA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Renacci, Jim (R-OH) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Ribble, Reid (R-WI) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Roby, Martha (R-AL) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Rokita, Todd (R-IN) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Ross, Dennis (R-FL) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Rothfus, Keith J (R-PA) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Ryan, Paul (R-WI) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Sanford, Mark (R-SC) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Scalise, Steve (R-LA) | $7,450 | View message on Twitter |
| Scott, Austin (R-GA) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Sessions, Pete (R-TX) | $2,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Shimkus, John M (R-IL) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Smith, Adrian (R-NE) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Stewart, Chris (R-UT) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Thornberry, Mac (R-TX) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Tipton, Scott (R-CO) | $3,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Valadao, David (R-CA) | $9,450 | View message on Twitter |
| Wagner, Ann L (R-MO) | $2,150 | View message on Twitter |
| Walden, Greg (R-OR) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Walorski, Jackie (R-IN) | $4,500 | View message on Twitter |
| Walters, Mimi (R-CA) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Weber, Randy (R-TX) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Webster, Daniel (R-FL) | $1,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Westmoreland, Lynn A (R-GA) | $3,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Wilson, Joe (R-SC) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Womack, Steve (R-AR) | $4,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Yoder, Kevin (R-KS) | $2,000 | View message on Twitter |
| Young, David (R-IA) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
| Zeldin, Lee (R-NY) | $4,950 | View message on Twitter |
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Credits: Ethan Chiel, Daniel McLaughlin, Rachel Schallom and Anna Sterling contributed to this article.
Kate Stohr is a data journalist and community builder based in San Francisco, CA.