Dear MoveOn member,

It is with such heavy hearts and absolute outrage that we learn of another
mass shooting in America. This one was committed by a neighbor armed with
an AR-15 who senselessly murdered five people, including an
eight-year-old, after he was asked to stop shooting a gun in his front
yard because it was keeping their baby up.^1 May they rest in peace. 

This tragedy brings back to mind Representative Cori Bush's powerful words
from earlier in April: "The people who will be killed in the next mass
shooting are alive right now."^2

Because we have come to expect that, in our country, there will always be
another mass shooting—likely carried out with this very same weapon, the
AR-15, a weapon that some Republicans wanted to name the "national
firearm."^3

We do not have to live this way, and we know exactly how to change it:
with commonsense gun safety laws.

But right now, there are 18 House Republicans who stand in the way of
protecting our schools, our places of worship, our grocery stores, our
movie theaters, our concerts, our communities, and even our own homes.



[ [link removed] ]There is a clear path forward to defeating these GOP obstructionists,
and MoveOn has made the decision to go all in to ensure they lose in 2024,
giving Democrats control of the House and the ability to pass gun
legislation. We'll explain the plan below, but first we need to ask if you
can chip in $3 to power this lifesaving work.



We call these members of Congress the Complicit Caucus: 18 Republicans who
won their seats by narrow margins in 2022 in districts that President
Biden won in 2020. During their campaigns, they all pretended to be
moderates who would put their constituents over their party, but in their
first 100 days in Congress, they have voted in lockstep with MAGA
extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene 99.4% of the time.^4 Some even
donned AR-15 lapel pins to mock efforts at passing gun safety laws.^5

These Republican representatives all represent purple and even blue
districts—with constituents who overwhelmingly support commonsense gun
laws—and if we can defeat just five of them, we will flip control of the
House, paving the way for Democrats to not just pass gun safety laws, but
also codify the right to an abortion, protect Social Security and
Medicare, and do so much more.

So how are we going to defeat them? By doing what MoveOn does best:
building grassroots power in each of these districts, led by MoveOn
members themselves.

With your help, we are:

* Identifying and training cohorts of volunteers in Complicit Caucus
districts who will lead local efforts to host rallies, gain critically
important local press coverage, educate constituents about their
representative's lies, and, when the time comes, mobilize voters en
masse to defeat them at the polls.
* Running ads specifically targeting swing voters in these districts to
highlight the far-right extremist positions taken by the Complicit
Caucus. We are currently running ads about their vote on Kevin
McCarthy's sham debt ceiling bill, which would gut education, repeal
student loan forgiveness, kick millions of families off their health
care, and even cut funding for cancer research.^6
* Plastering their districts with billboards and other highly visible
reminders to voters that their representatives do not represent their
interests. We are currently preparing to launch a new billboard
campaign targeting the voting records of Complicit Caucus members when
it comes to tackling gun violence.



[ [link removed] ]This is the grassroots, shoe-leather work that is pivotal in building
the power needed to defeat these candidates in 2024. Can you make
a $3 gift to keep it going?



John, at the time of this writing, 14,071 lives have been lost
in the U.S. to gun violence in 2023.^7 Sadly, by the time you read this,
that number will be higher.

And Americans across age, class, and political party are all aligned in
calling for change.

A full 80% of Americans—including 71% of Republicans!—support universal
background checks for all gun sales.^8

And strong majorities support everything from banning assault weapons and
extended magazines to red flag laws and raising taxes on ammunition.^9

Every single day that the GOP-led Congress refuses to act, they are
endangering our lives and violating the will of the voters, and it is far
past time that they are held accountable for it.



[ [link removed] ]MoveOn is working to ensure that happens, but as a member-led
organization we can do it only with your support. Please, if you are able,
click here and give a gift of $3 today.



Thanks for all you do. 

–Justin, Elsie, Tzyh, Allison, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "5 dead in Texas 'execution-style' shooting, suspect armed with AR-15
is on the loose," ABC News, April 29, 2023
[link removed]

2. Tweet by Cori Bush, April 18, 2023
[link removed]

3. "GOP Rep. Barry Moore Wants AR-15 as 'National Gun of America,'"
Newsweek, February 21, 2023
[link removed]

4. "Analysis: Swing District Republicans Vote in Lockstep with Marjorie
Taylor Greene," MoveOn, April 14, 2023
[link removed]

5. "Why Some Members of Congress Are Wearing AR-15 Assault Rifle Pins,"
Time, February 7, 2023
[link removed]'%20right%20to%20bear%20arms.

6. "What’s in the GOP bill to lift debt limit, cut spending," AP News,
April 26, 2023
[link removed]

7. "Gun Violence Archive 2023," Gun Violence Archive, accessed May 2, 2023
[link removed]

8. "After recent mass shootings, a majority of Americans desire stricter
gun control laws," YouGov, February 1, 2023
[link removed]

9. Ibid.


Want to support MoveOn's work? Voters just defied history and stopped a
MAGA wave of extremism at the polls. But there is more work to do to end
the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms,
our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but
only if we work together.

Will you chip in right now to power our critical work?



[ [link removed] ]Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.





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