Dear MoveOn member,
After the mass shooting at an elementary
school in Nashville, Tennessee Republicans took the extraordinary step of
expelling two Black Democrats for protesting in support of gun reform.^1
There was a mass shooting at a Louisville bank in Mitch McConnell's own
state, and the Senate minority leader offered nothing more than "prayers
to the victims."^2
That was just in the last week. A new report shows that a majority of
American families have been impacted by gun violence, with 1 in 5 American
adults having lost a family member to gun violence.^3 But Republicans
remain in the grip of the NRA death cult and the gun manufacturing
industry.
From expanding and strengthening background checks to banning assault
weapons, there are commonsense and widely popular measures Congress could
take—if only Republican members of Congress listened to their constituents
rather than to the NRA.
[ [link removed] ]We're going to bring this message directly to them. If MoveOn can raise
the funds, we will run billboards in key districts, calling out the most
vulnerable Republicans in Congress for their loyalty to gun lobbyists over
voters—and we'll either push them to support gun reform or defeat them and
elect representatives who will act. Will you pitch in $3 so
we can raise the funds for this ambitious, high-profile effort?
MoveOn members joined allies to protest George Santos this week and demand
he take action on guns. Protests like this one help make sure Republicans
can't avoid this issue—and help expose these complicit Republicans more
clearly to voters.
There are 18 Republicans, including Santos, who represent congressional
districts that President Biden won in 2020. These Republicans represent
constituents who want gun safety laws—but are choosing the NRA over their
own voters. If we slam and shame these Republicans, we can push some of
them into action, and if we can defeat just five of them, we can end
Republican control of the House of Representatives.
These folks masquerade as moderates to win votes. But who are they, in
reality, when it comes to gun violence?
MAGA Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) voted against seven gun safety
laws when he was in the New York legislature and hasn't joined Democratic
colleagues in calling for the effective, popular assault weapons ban.
Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) took more than $15,000 from gun
interests and has received an A rating from a gun-owners' group.^4
George Santos (NY-03) responded to a recent mass shooting by wearing an
assault weapon lapel pin and co-sponsoring legislation to make the deadly
AR-15 "the national gun."^5
Right now, many of these 18 vulnerable Republicans are running scared from
their own constituents on these issues—dodging questions about commonsense
legislation.
That's why we need to confront them in ways they can't ignore—including
hard-hitting billboards that will ask whose side they are on: the gun
lobbyists or the children and families in their district.
[ [link removed] ]Can you pitch in $3 to this work? We'll pressure them
with calls and actions—and if we can afford to, we'll post visible,
public, attention-grabbing billboards in their districts.
MoveOn members in these districts are already doing this work—organizing
protests, making phone calls, and talking to neighbors. MoveOn members
across the country can add our support—by contributing to put up
high-profile billboards that will add to their efforts.
[ [link removed] ]Please pitch in $3 now as we continue to push for an
assault weapons ban, for commonsense gun safety laws, and to defeat
Republicans who stand in our way.
Thanks for all you do.
–Justin, Nadia, David, Bekir, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Tennessee House GOP expels 2 Democrats in retaliation over gun control
protest, on 'sad day for democracy,'" CNN, April 7, 2023
[link removed]
2. "Leaders react to deadly downtown Louisville bank shooting," WLKY,
April 10, 2023
[link removed]
3. "Gun violence has affected most families in the US, new survey finds,"
CNN, April 11, 2023
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4. "Money to Congress, OpenSecrets, accessed April 12, 2023
[link removed]
5. "Lauren Boebert, George Santos Co-Sponsor Bill To Make AR-15 The
'National Gun,'" Forbes, February 26, 2023
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Want to support MoveOn's work? We know how to end the epidemic of gun
violence in America, but the NRA and gun manufacturers use their control
over the GOP to stop every effort to ban assault weapons and pass other
commonsense gun control laws. We’re organizing to end the gun industry's
stranglehold on policymakers.
Will you join us in the fight to protect our loved ones from gun violence?
[ [link removed] ]Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.
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