The House of Representatives has handed the gun industry a major victory. On Thursday, lawmakers voted to protect firearms manufacturers and dealers from liability lawsuits. The bill now goes to President Bush, who has promised to sign it. The Republican-led measure passed with significant Democratic support. The gun liability bill is the number one legislative priority of the National Rifle Association and it has been for years. NRA President Wayne LaPierre called it a “historic piece of legislation.” The NRA exploited the aftermath of Katrina to promote the legislation. A recent statement on the NRA website said, “What we’ve seen in Louisiana–the breakdown of law and order in the aftermath of disaster–is exactly the kind of situation where the Second Amendment was intended to allow citizens to protect themselves.” The bill is aimed at killing lawsuits seeking to hold gun manufacturers and dealers liable for crimes committed with weapons they sold. The chief House sponsor of the bill, Florida Republican Cliff Stearns, said the bill received a boost when Pentagon officials said they supported it as a way to ensure a reliable supply of American-made weapons to the military. This bill is part of a push by Republicans to attack tort law that allows corporations to be sued over the impact of their products. On Wednesday, the House passed the so-called “cheeseburger bill,” which protects the restaurant industry from health-related lawsuits.