I say No to WeaponsOfWar.jpg

Urge President Joe Biden and Congress to #BanAssaultWeapons

BACKGROUND: Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Americans deserve a strong response from the federal government. Therefore, 365+ gun violence prevention groups, chapters and allies have joined the Campaign Against Assault Weapons to #BanWeaponsOfWar #BanAssaultWeapons to keep our families and communities safe. We invite you to join our campaign by signing our coalition petition.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to find out how which Members of Congress need to be contacted to urge them to pass the assault weapons ban.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, the 117th House of Representatives passed HR1808, Assault Weapons Ban, with bipartisan support. 215 House Democrats and 2 House Republicans (Rep. Chris Jacobs and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick) voted to pass the bill. Now, Sign our petition to urge the 118th Senate to lead on the effort to pass the ban.

Dear Members of the 118th U.S. Senate,

Too many Americans are being senselessly gunned down in public spaces in towns and cities across the nation.

On July 29, 2022, the House of Representatives passed HR1808 to ban assault weapons in response to the heartbreaking mass shooting tragedies in Highland Park, Uvalde, Tulsa, and Buffalo. President Joe Biden is ready and willing to sign the bill into law.

With easy access to military-style semi-automatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines, too many individuals have turned our schools, malls, concerts, movie theaters, places of worship, stores, highways, parades, and other public spaces into a war zone filled with terror, devastation and terrible loss.

Military-style semi-automatic assault weapons are designed to efficiently kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time available. There is absolutely no reason for assault rifles, assault pistols, and assault shotguns to be sold on the civilian market.

Congress did not take action after Aurora, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland, Pittsburgh and many other devastating mass shooting incidents and the scope of death and destruction caused by gunmen with weapons of war is growing.

Your thoughts and prayers are not enough. We demand that you act now to stop the carnage with an effective federal ban (S.25) on the civilian use of these weapons. NOW is the time to act!

Thank you.

Sincerely,

-Newtown Action Alliance Supporters

RECENT UPDATES:

On June 13, 2023, Rep. Lucy McBath filed  H.Res. 452, a discharge petition to force a vote on the ban in the House of Representatives. As of August 16, 2023, there are 205 signatures - ALL Democrats. Click HERE to view the list of House Democratic holdouts. 218 signatures are needed for a floor vote bypassing Speaker McCarthy. We are in the process of demanding the Biden 18 House Republicans and other Republicans to sign the discharge petition.

On June 6, 2023, Senator Jon Ossoff cosponsored S25. Now, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin has the votes to markup and pass this lifesaving assault weapons ban legislation in the committee. Please call Senator Durbin at 202.224.2152 to urge him to markup and pass the bill before an assault weapon is used to hunt and kill more innocent Americans.

From June 6-12, 2023, 19-year-old Sam Schwartz who lost his best friend and cousin at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida staged a 7-day #SurvivorSitIn to demand a vote on the assault weapons ban legislation in both chambers of Congress.

After the Covenant School shooting in Nashville on March 27, 2023, THIS LETTER signed by hundreds of organizations, survivors, and advocates to all members of congress to demand a vote on S.25 and H.R. 698 to ban assault weapons onOn March 30, 2023.

118th Congress: Senator Diane Feinstein reintroduced her legislation S.25 to ban assault weapons on 1/23/23 and Representative David cicilline introduced HIS legislation H.R. 698 on 2/1/23. Representative Cicilline retired on May 31, 2023 therefore Representative Lucy Mcbath has assumed the bill.

On November 14, 2022, 250+ gun violence survivors sent THIS LETTER to Senator Chuck Schumer to schedule a vote on the House-passed legislation to ban assault weapons.

HISTORY: CAMPAIGN AGAINST ASSAULT WEAPONS

After the deadly mass shootings in Aurora, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland and Pittsburgh, we are saying NO to #WeaponsOfWar! We joined States United to Prevent Gun Violence to establish a broad coalition of 360+ organizations, chapters and allies on a #CampaignAgainstAssaultWeapons.

Assault weapons are the weapons of choice for mass shooters. Ten of the 17 deadliest U.S. mass shootings since Sandy Hook have involved AR-15-style weapons. AR-15s accounted for 1.2% of all guns being manufactured in 1990 and by 2020, AR-15s made up 23.4%. More than 13.7 million AR-15s have been manufactured since the 20 children and 6 educators were killed in Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, generating approximately $11 Billion in revenue.

President Bill Clinton signed the assault weapons ban into law in 1994 but President George Bush let the ban expire in 2004.

Louis Klarevas from University of Massachusetts at Boston who wrote “Rampage Nation” collected data on every gun massacre — defined by him as six or more people shot and killed — for the 50 years before 2016. He found that 1) compared to the 10-year period before the ban, the number of gun massacres during the assault weapons ban (1994-2004) period fell by 37 percent, and the number of people dying from gun massacres fell by 43 percent 2) during the 10-year period (2004-2014) after the assault weapons ban lapsed in 2004, there was 183 percent increase in massacres and a 239 percent increase in massacre deaths.

Click HERE for our one pager on the bill to ban assault weapons.

Click HERE for more information on assault weapons from the Violence Policy Center.

Organizations can join the Campaign Against Assault Weapons HERE.

THE SENATE BILL:

S.25 — 118th Congress (2023-2024) Assault Weapons Ban of 2023

Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] (Introduced 1/23/23)

Cosponsors: (44) No Republican Cosponsors.

Click HERE to review Senator Feinstein’s fact sheet on this bill.

Review Senator Diane Feinstein’s RESOURCE GUIDE on her Assault Weapons Ban legislation from 2019.

Please call The following Senate Democrats to urge them to cosponsor the bill:

Heinrich, Martin - (D - NM) (202) 224-5521 www.heinrich.senate.gov/contact

Kelly, Mark - (D - AZ) 202-224-2235 https://www.kelly.senate.gov/contact/

Manchin, Joe, III - (D - WV) (202) 224-3954 www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Sinema, Kyrsten - (D - AZ) (202) 224-4521 contact@sinema.senate.gov

Tester, Jon - (D - MT) (202) 224-2644 www.tester.senate.gov/?p=email_senator

King, Angus S., Jr. - (I - ME) (202) 224-5344 www.king.senate.gov/contact

Also call ALL Senate Republicans at 202-224-3121 to urge them to support the bill to #BanAssaultWeapons.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BILL

H.R.698— 118th Congress (2023-2024)

Assault Weapons Ban of 2023

Sponsor: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (Introduced 02/01/2023) —-now sponsored by Representative Lucy Mcbath.

Cosponsors: (205)-All Democrats

HOUSE Republican Cosponsors (0)—Please Call Republicans at 202-224-3121 to cosponsor the ban.

Please call these Democratic holdouts:

Henry Cuellar: Texas 28th (202) 225-1640 @RepCuellar

Donald Davis: North Carolina 1st (202) 225-3101 @RepDonDavis

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez: Washington 3rd (202) 225-3536 @MGPforCongress

Jared Golden: Maine 2nd (202) 225-6306 @RepGolden

Vicente Gonzalez: Texas 34th (202) 225-2531 @RepGonzalez

Mary Peltola: Alaska At Large(202) 225-5765 @MaryPeltola

On July 20, 2022, HR1808 passed in the House Judiciary Committee with YES votes from 25 Democrats and NO votes from 18 Republicans. This was the first vote in the House Judiciary Committee since 1994.

On July 29, 2022, the House of Representatives passed HR1808 with bipartisan support. 215 House Democrats and 2 House Republicans (Rep. Chris Jacobs and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick) voted to pass the bill.

Check out the full list of 208 House Republicans who Voted against the bill HERE.

FiVE House Democrats who voted against the bill:

  1. Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas-28) (202) 225-1640

  2. Rep. Jared Golden (Maine-2) (202) 225-6306

  3. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (Texas-15) (202) 225-2531

  4. Rep. Ron Kind (Wisconsin-3) (202) 225-5506

  5. Rep. Kurt Schrader (Oregon-5) (202) 225-5711

MEMBERS OF THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ASSAULT WEAPONS:

Total: 365 Groups (As of January 24, 2023)

10,000 Women Louisiana

A New Routine for America

Advocates for Change

AIDS CT

All Saints Church Pasadena Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church

Alliance for Gun Responsibility

American Family Voices

American Federation of Teachers

Amnesty International Group 39, Pittsburgh

Amnesty International USA

Anglican Church of Mexico

Anna's Place: A Franciscan Hospitality Center

Antelope Valley (Brady) California

Arizonans for Gun Safety

Art = Ammo, Artists Against Gun Violence

Avaaz

Ban Assault Weapons Now

Battle Born Progress

Birmingham (Brady) Alabama

Blessed Ministries

Blue Future

Brady

Brady Baltimore, Maryland

Brady Barnwell County, South Carolina

Brady Bergen County, New Jersey

Brady Boston, Massachusetts

Brady Campaign at Indiana University

Brady Dayton Chapter, Ohio

Brady Illinois

Brady Monongalia County, West Virginia

Brady Sussex County, New Jersey

Brady Twin Cities, Minnesota

Brady University of Michigan

Brady/Million Mom March Greater Pittsburgh Area, Pennsylvania

Brady/Million Mom March Middlesex County, New Jersey

Brave New Films

Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition

Broader Representation Advocacy Team- Political Action Committee (BRAT-PAC)

Buffalo (Brady), New York

California Team Enough

Californians For Gun Safety

Camden-Burlington (Brady), New Jersey

Campaign to Unload

Ceasefire Oregon

CeaseFire Pennsylvania

Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church

Central Arkansas (Brady)

Central Lutheran Church

Central Minnesota (Brady)

Central Ohio Brady/Million Mom March Chapter

Central Oklahoma Brady

Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos

Charleston Brady, South Carolina

Chi-Town GVP Summit

Chicago's Citizens for Change, Inc.

Childrens Firearm Safety Alliance

Clark County (Vancouver) Million Mom March, Washington

Cleveland Brady, Ohio

Cleveland School Remembers Stockton Brady, California

Coalition Against Gun Violence, a Santa Barbara County Coalition

Coalition for Peace Action

Coalition of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

CODEPINK Women for Peace

Colorado Ceasefire

Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence

Concerned Citizens Against Gun Violence

Concert Across America to End Gun Violence

Congregation Kol Ami

Connecticut Against Gun Violence

Contra Costa County Brady, California

CT Conference of the United Church of Christ

Dallas (Brady), Texas

Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence (DECAGV)

Delaware Million Mom March

Democracy for America

Denver (Brady), Colorado

DeSoto Country Brady, Mississippi

Disarm Hate

District of Columbia (Brady)

Doctors for America

Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, NY

Dominican Sisters of Peace

Emerson College Brady, Massachusetts

End the Madness

Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Equality California

Equality Florida

Essex County Million Mom March, New Jersey

Every Child Matters

Faces Not Forgotten

Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence

Falmouth Gun Safety CoAlition

Families4peace

Family and Children's Ministries, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) DHM

Felician Sisters of Livonia

First Church

FIVE AWAKE

Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence

Franciscan Action Network

Franciscan Peace Center

Franciscan Sisters

Franciscan Sisters of Mary

Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph

Franciscan Sisters of the Poor

Friends Against Violence Everywhere (FAVE)

Futures Without Violence

GAYS against GUNS

Gays Not Guns

Georgetown Against Gun Violence

Georgetown County Brady, South Carolina

Georgia Alliance for Social Justice

Georgians for Gun Safety

Global Exchange

Global Vision

God Before Guns

Grand Strand Brady, South Carolina

Grandmothers Against Gun Violence-Cape Cod

Grandparents Against Gun Violence (MO)

Greater Chicagoland Brady, Illinois

Greater Danbury Brady, Connecticut

Greater Phoenix Million Mom March, Arizona

Greater Rochester Brady/Million Mom March, New York

Greenpeace US

Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence

Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart

Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah

Gun Violence Prevention PAC

GunControlToday

Guns Down America

Gunsense Vermont

Hampton Roads Million Mom March, Virginia

Hands Up for Gun Safety (HUGS)

Hawaii Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence

Healing 4 Our Families & Our Nation

Heeding God's Call

Herndon-Reston Alliance To End Gun Violence

Holman United Methodist Church

Honor with Action Coalition

Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence

Illinois Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence

Imani Dream Angel

IMPACT - Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team

Indivisible Northern Nevada

Indivisible Northville and Neighbors (Western Detroit Suburbs)

International Health & Epidemiology Research Center

Iowans for Gun Safety

Jefferson County (Brady), West Virginia

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Jewish Women International (JWI)

Joint Action Committee

Journey4ward

JPIC Office of the Wheaton Franciscans

Jr. Newtown Action Alliance

Justice, peace and integrity for creation committee

Lake County (Brady), Illinois

Lane County (Eugene) Million Mom March, Oregon

Las Vegas (Brady), Nevada

Latah County Brady Chapter, Idaho

Latin America Working Group Education Fund

League of Women Voters of Florida

League of Women Voters of the United States

Lexington and Central Kentucky Million Mom March

LGBT4GVP

Long Beach Brady, California

Long Island Brady Chapter, New York

Los Angeles Brady, California

Louisiana Violence Reduction Coalition

LPAC

LWV of Florida

MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence

Macomb County (Brady), Michigan

Maine Council of Churches

Maine Gun Safety Coalition

Maine Veterans for Peace Tom Sturtevant Chapter#001

March for Our Lives

March For Racial Justice #M4RJ

Marin County (Brady), California

Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence

Massachusetts Brady

Mercer County Million Mom March, New Jersey

Metro Atlanta Million Mom March, Georgia

Metro St. Louis Brady, Missouri

Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights

Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Caucus

Michigan Million Mom March

Mike the Gun Guy

Missionary Sisters of the I.C.

Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

MomsRising

Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought

Montgomery Brady, Alabama

Montgomery County (Brady), Maryland

Mountain View United Church

MoveOn.org Civic Action

Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church

NACCE

Napa County Brady, California

Nashville Brady, Tennessee

National Action Network

National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

National Council of Jewish Women

National Council of Jewish Women - Chicago North Shore

National Die-In, USA

National Domestic Violence Hotline

National Education Association

National Gun Victims Action Council

National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund

National Medical Council on Gun Violence

National Physicians Alliance

National Women's Law Center

Nevada-Placer Brady, California

New Castle Promise

New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence

New Orleans (Brady), Lousiana

New York City Brady Chapter

New York University Law Brady chapter

New York Youth/Team Enough

New Yorkers Against Gun Violence

Newton Gun Violence Prevention Collaborative

Newtown Action Alliance

NoRA

North Carolina Council of Churches

North Carolinians Against Gun Violence Education Fund

Northeast Kansas Brady, Kansas

Northern Central Florida (Brady)

Northern Nevada (Brady)

Northern Virginia Million Mom March

Northland Brady Chapter

Northland Minnesota Million Mom March

Northwest Corner Committee for Gun Violence Prevention

Oakland/Alameda County Brady, California

Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence

Oklahoma Gun Sense

One Aim Illinois

One Pulse for America

Orange County Brady, California

Orange Ribbons For Gun Safety

Oregonizers

OSAGE NATION (Brady), Oklahoma

Pacem in Terris-Delaware

People Demanding Action

People for a Safer Society

Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence

Pomona Valley Brady, California

Portland Million Mom March, Oregon

Prevent Gun Violence Florida

Pride Fund to End Gun Violence

Programa Casa Refugiados

Progressive Congress Action Fund

Progressive Democrats of America

Project End Gun Violence

Protect Minnesota

Protest Easy Guns

Psychiatrists for Gun Violence Prevention

Rabbis Against Gun Violence

Radnor Residents for Gun Safety

Raleigh Brady, North Carolina

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Remembering Darien Foundation

Resistance Seacoast

Resolve for Gunsense Indiana

Rhode Island Brady

Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence

Richmond Million Mom March, Virginia

Riverside County (Brady), California

Rocky Mountain Hye Advocates

Rutgers University Brady, New Jersey

Sacramento Valley Brady, California

Sacred Ground Ministries

Safe Campus Colorado

Safe Tennessee Project

Safer CA PAC

Safer Country

San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention

San Diego Brady, California

San Fernando Valley Brady, California

San Francisco Brady, California

San Joaquin Valley (Brady), California

San Luis Obispo (Brady), California

San Mateo County Brady, California

Santa Barbara Brady, California

Santa Clara County Brady, California

Santa Cruz County Brady, California

Santa Fe (Brady), New Mexico

Sarasota County (Brady), Florida

Savannah Brady, Georgia

Seattle Brady, Washington

Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz A.C.

SF State (Brady), California

Silent March

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, PA

Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities

Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, OH

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, NY

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, LA Province

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St Louis, MO

Sisters of St. Joseph, St Paul, MN

Solano County Brady, California

Sonoma County Brady, California

South Florida (Brady)

Sravasti Abbey

St. Charles, Missouri (Brady)

St. Louis University Law (Brady), Missouri

St. Mark's Episcopal Church Capitol Hill DC

St. Sabina's Church

Stanford University (Brady Chapter), California

States United to Prevent Gun Violence

Statewide Indivisible Michigan (SWIM)

Step Up, Step Out: End the Culture of Violence, a ministry of Asylum Hill Congregational Church

Stop Handgun Violence

Stop Killing Innocent People (SKIP)

Stop the Violence Coalition, Buffalo, NY

Stop the Violence Prayer Chain, Wilm. DE

Survivors Empowered Action Fund

Survivors Empowered South Carolina

Survivors Lead

Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence

Team 26

Temple Micah Gun Violence Prevention Group

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus

The Connecticut Effect

The ENOUGH Campaign

The Ethan Miller Song Foundation

The Greater Phoenix Million Mom March

The Washington office on Latin America

Theodore Parker Church UU Social Action Committee

Tri-City Alameda County Chapter (Brady), California

UltraViolet

Union for Reform Judaism

Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey

University of Michigan Brady Chapter, Michigan

Urban Community Unity Solutions LLC ( U.C.U.S.)

UUFHCT

Vanderbilt University Brady Chapter, Tennessee

Ventura County Brady, California

Vermont Youth for GunSense

Vet Voice Foundation

Violence Policy Center

Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles

Violent Crime Survivors

Virginia Center for Public Safety

Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Coalition

Vision Quilt

VoteVets

Washing Ceasefire Foundation

Washington Ceasefire

We The People For Sensible Gun Laws

Westchester County Million Mom March, New York

Western Illinois (Brady)

WHEATON FRANCISCAN SISTERS Justice and Peace Office

Wheaton Franciscans

Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Ed Fund

Woman's National Democratic Club

Women Against Gun Violence

Women Against the Violence Epidemic (WAVE)

Women's March

Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice, St. Louis, MO

Yolo County Brady, California

Youth Over Guns

YWCA USA

Zioness