New Jersey Congressman Proud Of His ‘F’ Grade From NRA

They gave him an “F.” And he couldn’t be happier about it.

On Thursday, U.S. Congressman Donald Payne Jr. revealed that the National Rifle Association (NRA) gave him an “F” grade this year for his record on gun-related issues. Payne, a Democrat who represents the state’s 10th District, has been a vocal supporter of gun control legislation and efforts.

“The NRA gave me an F,” Payne wrote, adding that he’s “proud” of the designation. “They give me no money. Why? Because I will never stop fighting for gun safety laws. Enough is enough.”

The annual grading system is produced by the NRA’s Political Victory Fund, a PAC associated with the organization, and the results routinely fall along party lines. According to the Washington Post, out of 49 Democrat and independent U.S. Congress members, only nine had grades above an F. None of those were from New Jersey.

On the flip side of the coin, out of 51 Republicans, just three graded below an “A-minus”: John McCain (Arizona), Susan Collins (Maine) and Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania).

According to the NRA’s Political Victory Fund, an A+ grade means “a legislator with not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment.”

An F grade represents a “true enemy of gun owners' rights… a consistent anti-gun candidate who always opposes gun owners' rights and/or actively leads anti-gun legislative efforts, or sponsors anti-gun legislation.”

• See related article: Which New Jersey Reps. Voted For Conceal-Carry Gun Bill?
• See related article: New Jersey Gun Rights Group Sues Government, Attacks Carry Law

Payne, a Newark resident and father of three, revealed his “F” grade a day after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that claimed 17 lives and injured several other people. The accused shooter, Nikolas Jacob Cruz, a former student who was expelled last year, was reportedly armed with an AR-15.

• See related article: Accused Parkland Shooter Charged With 17 Counts Of Murder (Update)

On Thursday, Payne issued an emotional plea for action to prevent future incidents of gun violence (read his full statement here):

“Anger is an appropriate response to senseless gun violence and political inaction. Moments of silence used to be for showing honor or respect. There is nothing honorable about keeping silent and doing nothing to prevent gun violence. Even as children, worshipers, concert-goers, and people from all walks of life die in one mass shooting after another, Congress has rejected every reasonable gun bill proposed in the past decade… The American people are right to be angry at their government for failing to pass reasonable gun safety laws. They have a right to scream out, to speak up, to sit in, and to protest until Congress does something.”

Payne made other statements this week in favor of gun control, blaming the Republican party for the lack of movement on gun control legislation in the U.S.

“The Republican Party is complicit in the shooting yesterday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The NRA and its cronies have rejected every single reasonable gun safety measure proposed over the past decade… But politicians keep taking the NRA's money.”

Payne added:

“Republicans in Congress and throughout this country have rejected — for more than a decade — gun safety laws. They have thoughts and prayers but no laws or policies. It's tragic. How many people must die before Congress shakes its addiction to the gun lobby's cash? We in the Democratic Party have repeatedly introduced reasonable measures to protect the American people from gun violence. We have proposed bills that would stop the online sale of bulk ammunition. We have proposed programs to buy back some of the guns that are most often used in crimes. We have proposed banning assault weapons. We have tried standing up. We have tried speaking out. We have tried sitting in for sensible gun safety laws. But each time we take action, the NRA and its allies in Congress shut us down.”

According to Payne’s website, he introduced the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2015 to keep guns out of the "wrong hands" by giving gun owners incentives to sell back their firearms. He also supports legislation to improve background checks, outlaw high-capacity magazines and prevent "suspected terrorists" from buying guns.

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Photo: payne.house.gov