DeVos questioned about NRA influence over school safety panel
The Education Department on Tuesday denied that the National Rifle Association is playing any role in a White House school safety commission, after a leading Democratic senator raised questions about the organization’s influence.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate education committee, in a letter pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about whether the NRA was “involved in setting the scope of the commission’s work“ or if any member of the commission has met with the NRA.
Murray said that in an earlier letter, in March, she expressed concern the commission would try to shift public attention away from gun safety reforms. “I also expressed concern that in our private meeting, you could not assure me that the National Rifle Association (NRA) would not influence the Commission's process,” she wrote DeVos.
A DeVos spokeswoman, Liz Hill, responded the NRA “will have absolutely no say and no sway“ over the commission and charged Murray with “grandstanding.”
She said, “The commission set an aggressive schedule of meetings, field visits and public listening session to gather valuable input from stakeholders across the country. The commission will produce a report by year’s end that will serve as a resource guide for schools on proven practices that are working across the country to improve school safety.“ continue reading: DeVos questioned about NRA influence over school safety panel - POLITICO
