Half of Congress have received NRA donations

Half of the members of Congress have at one point received a donation from the National Rifle Association, according to an analysis by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan watchdog.

The NRA is a major player in any conversations about gun control, which the group historically has vehemently opposed in most circumstances. The NRA will hold a press conference on Friday to, in its words, offer "meaningful contributions" to make sure shootings like those that occurred in Newton, Conn., don't happen again.

Just over half of the members of the next Congress — 51 percent — have received NRA support at some point in their careers. That includes 93 percent of Senate Republicans, 88 percent of House Republicans, 15 percent of Senate Democrats and 10 percent of House Democrats. As the analysis points out, the donations are usually in the range of a few thousand dollars and are more about "allegiance than influence." In their last election 47 percent of members of Congress received NRA money.

In recent days a number of Democrats who have previously opposed most firearm regulations, including some who are NRA members, have come out in favor of more regulation. However, most of those Democrats are senators who just won reelection and won't face the voters for another six years.