Cruz May Require Background Check Before Letting Supporter Shoot With Him

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) plans to take one lucky supporter with him on an upcoming "shooting excursion" as part of a recently launched fundraiser and sweepstakes for his presidential campaign. But there's a catch: the winner may have to endure a background check first.

The caveat is an interesting one given that Cruz helped lead the effort to defeat a 2013 bill that would have expanded background checks for gun sales nationwide. The bill, which was championed by President Obama in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, ultimately went down after an intense lobbying effort from pro-gun groups.

In an interview with TPM on Friday afternoon, Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler defended the contest's background check requirement and said it was "not inconsistent" with the senator's track record.

Tyler said Cruz had not taken issue with current system of background checks, but specifically opposed the 2013 bill, which would have imposed them on sales between private individuals.


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