As NRA Comes to Dallas, Texas Republicans Split on Punishing Banks That Cut Ties With Gun Industry

WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are locked in a policy standoff over whether to punish big banks like Citigroup and Bank of America for curtailing ties with the gun industry in the wake of recent mass shootings.That divide holds true even in gun-friendly Texas, which plays host in Dallas this week to the National Rifle Association’s annual convention.Some Texas GOPers, such as Rep. Louie Gohmert of Tyler, want to cancel government contracts with financial institutions that are backing away from the firearms market. But others, while angry at the banks, are wary about intruding upon a private entity’s business decisions.It’s a high-caliber collision between two fundamental Republican tenets: gun rights and free-market sensibilities.“I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment,” said Dallas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Republican who leads the House Financial Services Committee. “But to have the government punish companies or banks for their corporate policies strikes me as a uniquely bad idea.”The Texas GOP’s hearty embrace of gun rights will be on full display this week.Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott are among the high-profile politicos who will join President Donald Trump in addressing the thousands of people slated to attend the NRA confab at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas.The meeting comes at a critical moment in the nation’s gun debate.  Continue reading...