Student activist condemns Rubio for putting ‘price tag’ on student lives

David Hogg, a survivor of the high school shooting last month in Parkland, Fla., called out Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Saturday for putting what he called a “price tag” on the lives of students affected by gun violence.

Taking the stage at the “March for Our Lives” in Washington, Hogg placed a price tag on a lectern, representing the amount of money Rubio’s campaign took from the National Rifle Association (NRA) for each of the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting.

“First off, I’m going to start off by putting this price tag right here as a reminder for you guys to know how much Marco Rubio took for every student’s life in Florida,” Hogg said.

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The student’s comments were the latest on Saturday to decry the NRA’s influence on lawmakers. Rubio is among the top recipients of NRA contributions in the Senate, having received more than $3 million in donations from the gun rights group and its affiliates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Rubio has faced frequent criticism since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. That attack, which left 17 people dead and 14 others injured, reignited a national debate over gun laws and prompted scrutiny of the NRA’s influence in Washington and elsewhere.

The shooting also prompted gun control advocates to organize the “March for Our Lives,” which drew hundreds of thousands to Washington and other cities on Saturday.