"Reid guts Senate gun control bill."1
"Tuesday's developments are a major win for the powerful National Rifle Association."2
"[Assault weapons] ban's chances of survival now are all but hopeless."3
"[A]nother major element of the president's gun policy proposal could be joining the assault weapons ban in the scrap heap."4
After months of promises that, in the wake of Newtown, this time would be different, congressional Democrats, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid, are on the verge of caving on the three most critical gun violence prevention proposals: universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons, and a ban on high-capacity magazines.
What's looking most likely to end up in the final bill? A provision encouraging guns in schools.
No, no, no. MoveOn members and our allies have done so much to make real reform possible—with tens of thousands of phone calls, events, lobby visits, letters, and pleas from victims' families.
We've come too far to let meaningful gun violence prevention measures be killed by the NRA's backroom lobbying, Republicans' perpetual threats of filibustering, and Democrats who won't stand up and fight.
Can you chip in $5 to our emergency campaign to double down on our work for real gun violence prevention legislation?
We've already organized hundreds of constituent groups putting high-profile pressure on members of Congress in their home districts and states, run ads featuring anti-NRA gun owners, and poured calls into Congress—but it hasn't been enough. If we can raise $175,000 today, here's what we'll be able to do right away:
- Run aggressive TV Ads taking on senators from both parties who take money from the NRA and then vote against sensible gun violence prevention
- Ramp up the pressure in home districts and states—with events, petitions, and letters to the editor demanding an explanation from members of Congress of how they intend to vote on measures that could save the lives of their constituents
- Support powerful state and local anti-gun-violence campaigns, like that of a MoveOn Community Committee Against Gun Violence in Tucson, AZ, which organized and won a ban on gun shows in Tucson that don't guarantee background checks for all sales.5 They're ready to take this demand statewide, and other communities are ready to follow their lead.
We've seen congressional Democrats try to back down from a fight before—only to have the grassroots inject a dose of backbone and show them how it's done on the state and local level.
MoveOn leaders are running campaigns in places where opponents to reform—Republicans and Democrats—think gun laws are untouchable. We're actually winning on the state and local level. In addition to Tucson, Colorado just enacted significant background check reforms.6 We need to push those victories to other states, and use them to push leaders in Washington to turn the tide.
Thanks for all you do.
–Garlin, Nick, Susannah, Jessica, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Reid guts Senate gun control bill," The Hill, March 19, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=288260&id=64571-19161067-xyKlqwx&t=4
2. Ibid.
3. "AP News in Brief at 10:58 P.M. EST," The Washington Post, March 19, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=288261&id=64571-19161067-xyKlqwx&t=5
4. "Obama's Gun Reform Package Loses One Major Provision, Another In Danger," Huffington Post, March 19, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=288262&id=64571-19161067-xyKlqwx&t=6
5. "Tucson bans TCC gun shows without background checks," KGUN9, February 5, 2013
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/189947891.html
6. "Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper signs landmark gun bills," The Denver Post, March 20, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=288264&id=64571-19161067-xyKlqwx&t=7