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:
Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas-28) (202) 225-1640
Rep. Jared Golden (Maine-2) (202) 225-6306
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (Texas-15) (202) 225-2531
Rep. Ron Kind (Wisconsin-3) (202) 225-5506
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