PoliticsNRAPoliticselections-2013

Debbie Halvorson, NRA-Favored Candidate, Supports Greater Gun Control Measures

Pro-Gun Candidate Distances Self From NRA
By 

Senior media coordinator, Center for American Progress

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FILE - This March 20, 2012 file photo taken in Homewood, Ill., shows former U.S. Rep. D-Ill, Debbie Halvorson as she speaks to supporters in Homewood, Ill. Halvorson is one of many candidates in a crowded field of candidates hoping to fill former Illinois U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.s congressional seat. Halvorson is vying for an endorsement from Cook County Democratic Party officials during a slating meeting that will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, 2012 in South Holland, ill. The endorsement could be particularly valuable in the short campaign leading up to the February 26, 2012 Primary. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

Former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), a onetime close ally of the National Rifle Association, is backing away from the controversial gun group, according to an email she sent to supporters Wednesday.

"I have not lobbied the NRA for an endorsement," Halvorson promised supporters in the email. The former Illinois congresswoman is currently vying for retired Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s former congressional seat.

She continued, "I support President Obama and Vice President Biden's efforts in getting all sides to the table."

Halvorson, who holds a slight lead in a crowded Democratic primary field according to one poll, also wrote that she supports requiring universal background checks and firearm registration, eliminating the gun show loophole and imposing harsher penalties for straw buyers.

Halvorson's email comes just one day after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super PAC, Independence USA PAC, released an ad criticizing her record on gun violence prevention and NRA support. "In the race to replace Jessie Jackson, watch out for Debbie Halvorson," the ad warned. "Against comprehensive background checks, against banning deadly assault weapons, against banning high capacity ammunition clips ... When it comes to preventing gun violence, she gets an F."

In previous congressional races, Halvorson had been endorsed by the NRA's Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and received an "A" rating from the organization, marking her as a "solidly pro-gun candidate."

"The NRA-PVF is endorsing Debbie Halvorson because she has defended the Second Amendment freedom of law-abiding gun owners, hunters and sportsmen in Illinois and across American," Chris Cox, chairman of the victory fund, said in a 2010 news release.

Halvorson's current gun control stance is at odds with statements made Wednesday by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, who told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he opposes expanding background checks and closing the gun show loophole.

Illinois' 2nd Congressional District, where Halvorson is running, is heavily dominated by Democrats. It also contains areas plagued by gun violence, including Chicago's South Side, making her NRA ties potentially problematic.

Now distancing herself from the NRA, Halvorson appears to focus on rebuilding "economically distressed neighborhoods" that are susceptible to higher rates of violent crimes.

"We need to revitalize neighborhoods by creating good paying jobs and urging kids to stay in school to reduce violent crime, including crime committed with guns," Halvorson wrote in the Wednesday email. "It's time for an honest conversation, a conversation that I'm ready to lead when I'm sent back to Washington."

To win the vacant seat, which Jackson held for nearly 17 years, Halvorson must take the Feb. 26 primary and the April 6 general election.

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Before You Go

Obama's Gun Control Proposal Explained
Funds For First Responders(01 of22)
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The Obama administration will call on Congress to provide additional funding to train public and private personnel at schools to respond to active shooter situations. (credit:AP)
Invest In School Safety Strategies(02 of22)
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The Obama administration, through executive action, encourages school districts to use Comprehensive School Safety Grants to purchase school safety equipment, develop and update public safety plans, conduct threat assessments and train "crisis intervention teams" of law enforcement officers to work with the mental health community while responding and assisting students in crisis. (credit:AP)
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The Obama administration cites that with technical assistance from the Department of Education, 18,000 schools have already put evidence-based strategies to improve school climate into action. Through executive action, the administration proposes a new $50 million initiative to help 8,000 more schools train teachers and staff to implement these strategies. (credit:AP)
Resources For Youth Who Witness Violence(04 of22)
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To help schools break the cycle of violence, the administration will urge Congress to provide $25 million to offer students mental health services for trauma or anxiety, conflict resolution programs and other school-based violence prevention initiatives. (credit:AP)
Incentives For Schools To Hire Resource Officers(05 of22)
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Under Obama's executive action, the Department of Justice will provide an incentive for police departments that hire officers through COPS Hiring Grants by providing a preference for grant applications that support school resource officers. (credit:AP)
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The Department of Justice will invest $20 million in FY2013 to give states stronger incentives to share information with the background check system. President Obama signed executive action requiring federal agencies to make crucial records available to the background check system and also to ensure that such records are frequently updated. (credit:AP)
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President Obama signed an executive action reaffirming his respect for the Second Amendment, but acknowledging that the right to bear arms comes with a responsibility to safely store guns to prevent them from being accidentally or intentionally used to harm others. (credit:AP)
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Today, guns can be purchased easily from unlicensed dealers or from "straw purchasers" who pass the required background check, but give the guns to criminals. The Obama administration will include an explicit law against straw purchasing and others who traffic guns, including prosecutions for paperwork violations. (credit:AP)
15,000 Cops On The Street(09 of22)
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The Obama administration recognizes that it is crucial to keep more officers within communities and neighborhoods in order to prevent gun violence. The president calls on Congress to put forth a $4 billion proposal to help keep 15,000 police officers on the streets across the country. (credit:AP)
Assault Weapons Ban(10 of22)
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The federal assault weapons ban that was in place from 1994 to 2004 was a first step, but President Obama acknowledged that manufacturers were able to circumvent the prohibition with cosmetic modifications to their weapons. Obama is pressing Congress to introduce legislation reinstating and expanding the ban to include all assault weapons. (credit:AP)
High-Capacity Magazine Ban(11 of22)
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President Obama will urge Congress to reinstate the prohibition on ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Shooters at Virginia Tech, Tucson, Ariz., Aurora, Colo., Oak Creek, Wis. and Newtown, Conn. all used magazines that had a capacity of more than 10 rounds, which come standard with many handguns and rifles. (credit:AP)
Remove ATF Restrictions(12 of22)
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is required to authorize the importation of dangerous antique weapons that are at least 50 years old. Obama will press Congress to remove restrictions and enable the ATF to ensure that incoming weapons are actually acquired as collectibles and not for putting the weapons in the wrong hands. (credit:AP)
Broader Access To Reports On Lost & Stolen Guns(13 of22)
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Under Obama's executive action, the Department of Justice plans to publish an annual report on lost and stolen guns to ensure data collected by the ATF is available. (credit:Getty Images)
Protect Doctors Who Talk About Guns(14 of22)
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As declared by Obama's executive action, the administration will encourage gun owners to take responsibility for keeping their guns safe through a national campaign promoting common-sense gun safety measures. (credit:AP)
Enhance Gun Tracing Data(16 of22)
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Law enforcement can trace a gun's path from it's manufacturer, the dealer who sold it and its first purchaser. However, not all federal law enforcement agencies require a trace on guns they recover and keep in custody. President Obama signed executive action requiring a trace on all firearms. (credit:AP)
Promote Safe Gun Safety Technology(17 of22)
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The president is directing the attorney general through executive action to work with technology experts to review emerging gun safety technology that helps guard against unauthorized access and use. (credit:AP)
$150 Million For In-School Resources(18 of22)
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The Obama administration is urging Congress to take up a Comprehensive School Safety program that will offer $150 million to school districts and law enforcement agencies to hire resource officers, school psychologists, social workers and counselors. The Department of Justice will also develop a model for schools that use resource officers, including age-appropriate methods for working with students. (credit:DEAN J. KOEPFLER/ THE NEWS TRIBUNE/ AP)
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By executive action, Obama announced a plan to finalize regulations that would require group health plans offering mental health care to cover such services at parity under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Additionally, the Affordable Care Act requires all new small group and individual plans to cover mental health and substance abuse services. (credit:AP)
Mental Health Coverage For Medicaid Recipients(22 of22)
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There is some evidence that Medicaid plans do not always meeting mental health parity requirements. In an executive action, the Obama administration issued a letter to state health officials insisting that these plans must comply with mental health parity requirements. (credit:AP)
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