The National Rifle Association blasted Vice President Joe Biden after a meeting Thursday afternoon with gun ownership groups, and the president of the NRA told ABC News the White House is promoting policies that will not solve the problem of gun violence but instead violate Americans' Second Amendment rights.
"We think what they're talking about are basically feel-good measures that allow them to say, 'Look, we've done this.' But none of these things are going to prevent the next school shooting," David Keene, the president of the NRA, told ABC News.
"Everything that's been proposed impinges on people who have every right to own firearms on the one hand and are legitimate honest Americans on the other, but doesn't do much about criminals," Keene said.
Following the meeting, the NRA released a stinging statement on the talks, arguing that the talks did not produce legitimate ideas about how to curb gun violence but instead went after the Second Amendment.
"We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment," the NRA said in a statement. "While claiming that no policy proposals would be 'prejudged,' this task force spent most of its time on proposed restrictions on lawful firearms owners -- honest, taxpaying, hardworking Americans."
"It is unfortunate that this Administration continues to insist on pushing failed solutions to our nation's most pressing problems," the NRA said. "We will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be blamed for the acts of criminals and madmen. Instead, we will now take our commitment and meaningful contributions to members of Congress of both parties who are interested in having an honest conversation about what works -- and what does not."
Biden, whose office released a photo of the vice president meeting with gun ownership groups Thursday, told reporters earlier in the day that he has already started putting together a list of gun-control recommendations that he plans to issue next Tuesday.
He has suggested the administration would be ready to take executive action on the issue, which would not require votes from Congress. That prospect has raised alarm bells for gun rights advocates.
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link to abcnews.go.com]
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