Article snippet: Mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that left 31 people dead over the weekend are raising new calls for background checks on gun sales, testing the power of a National Rifle Association plagued by months of internal turmoil. Gun reformers on Capitol Hill, long frustrated by the gun lobby’s power to block tougher laws, believe they have a new opportunity given the NRA’s perceived weakened state. The NRA is “not as powerful” as it was, Rep. MORE (D-Calif.), said in a phone interview with The Hill on Monday. A former House Homeland Security Committee chairman, King argued that if MORE tried to push gun control legislation through Congress now, the NRA “won’t be as effective” in stopping him. “The president, who is a great dealmaker, knows how to go for people’s weak points, and if the NRA ever had a weak point, it’s right now,” King said. “They are weakened. And all of us, including the president, should take advantage of that.” Julián Castro, a Democratic presidential hopeful and former mayor of San Antonio, offered a similar assessment. “If you compare now to 10 years ago, there are a lot more people in politics that are standing up to the NRA,” he told MSNBC on Monday. “Their grip on American politicians has loosened a lot.” The NRA has faced months of internal conflict. In April, MORE was pushed out as NRA president after voicing concerns over lavish spending by the group’s top brass, including longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre. In June, the group shuttered NRATV after... Link to the full article to read more