Tell the Senate: Block and resist the NRA's favorite attorney

The petition to the Senate reads: "Block and resist Howard Nielson's confirmation to the federal bench." Add your name:

If we don't act now, the NRA's favorite attorney could hold a lifetime judicial appointment on a federal court. Recently, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced one of Donald Trump's most extreme right-wing judicial nominees, Howard Nielson.1 Nielson spent his career defending the NRA's dangerous agenda, fighting against LGBTQ rights and women's rights, and supporting the legalization of torture. Speak out now to demand that the Senate block the confirmation of pro-gun, pro-torture bigot Howard Nielson. Tell the Senate: No lifetime judicial appointment for the NRA's favorite attorney. Block Howard Nielson. Click here to sign the petition. Thirty-four mass shootings have occurred since the Parkland, Florida massacre and federal lawmakers have yet to respond with any real gun reform.2 Instead, NRA lapdogs in the White House and Congress are doing everything they can to block policies that keep weapons of war off the streets. If the Senate confirms pro-gun extremist Howard Nielson to the federal bench, it would make the country's mass shooting crisis even worse by giving the NRA more power to undermine gun restrictions and expand access to firearms. Howard Nielson has called state laws that prevent people younger than 21 from purchasing handguns and publicly carrying firearms unconstitutional. He also tried to overturn a ban on assault weapons in Illinois by arguing that high-powered rifles were not as dangerous as pistols and revolvers.3 In addition to advancing the NRA's dangerous agenda, Nielson has positioned himself on the far right of many other issues. Nielson defended California's anti-LGBTQ Proposition 8 – a policy that banned same-sex marriage – and argued that the judge hearing the case should recuse himself for being gay.4 In 2005, while holding a key position in George W. Bush's Department of Justice, Nielson wrote a memo that justified the torture of civilians captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.5 In 2014, Nielson represented congressional Republicans in opposing EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.6 In 2016, he co-authored an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, arguing in favor of imposing medically unnecessary standards on health facilities that offer abortion. These regulations would have forced a majority of Texas abortion providers to shutter their doors.7 Trump and his extremist Republican party are trying to fill the federal courts with right-wing judges who will legitimize their hateful policies, undo decades of civil rights progress and empower the NRA. We cannot allow that to happen. Some Republican senators have taken small steps to distance themselves from the worst of Trump's extremism. If they want credit for standing up to Trump, they have to keep his right-wing nominees out of the federal courts where they can institutionalize Trump's dangerous agenda for generations. Add your name now to demand that Senate Democrats and Republicans of good conscience block Howard Nielson's confirmation. Tell the Senate: No lifetime judicial appointment for the NRA's favorite attorney. Block Howard Nielson. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/block_nielson?t=7&akid=28497%2E3130208%2EhUbWLc -Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name:  References: Thomas Burr, "Judiciary Committee approves controversial nominee for Utah's federal court," The Salt Lake Tribune, Feb. 8, 2018. Brianna Provenzano, "Here are the 34 mass shootings that have happened in the US since Parkland," Mic, March 14, 2018. Amanda Marcotte, "Trump is packing the federal bench with NRA-endorsed pro-gun judges," Salon, March 16, 2018. Jennifer Bendery and Jessica Schulberg, "Guy Who Defended Prop 8 And Backed Torture Memo Author Says He’ll Make A Great Judge," HuffPost, Jan. 10, 2018. Kate Harloe, "Prepare to Welcome One of the Guys Behind Bush’s Torture Memos to the Federal Bench," Mother Jones, Feb. 8, 2018. Alliance for Justice, "AFJ Nominee Snapshot: Howard Nielson," accessed May 2, 2018. Ibid.

Tell Congress: Stop taking the NRA’s money

The petition to Congress reads: “The NRA is a dangerous extremist group. Its ‘guns everywhere’ agenda threatens public safety and makes it almost impossible to pass gun control legislation at the federal or state levels. No elected official should take its money.” Add your name:

The NRA is to blame for our epidemic of gun violence, but so are the politicians who do its bidding. In the last 20 years, the NRA has donated more than $4.1 million to current members of Congress.1 It spent at least $55 million in the 2016 election cycle to advance not only its “guns everywhere” agenda, but right-wing Republican extremism more broadly.2 This financial power has kept most federal- or state-level bills about gun control from even getting a vote. But since the Parkland shooting, the NRA has been under relentless scrutiny. Corporate partners have been abandoning the NRA in droves.3 And people all over the country have been publicizing and criticizing the amount of money their representatives have taken from the NRA. We need to keep that pressure on and demand that Congress break free from the NRA. Tell Congress: Stop taking money from the gun lobby. Click here to sign the petition. After every mass shooting, the NRA’s lackeys in Congress offer their thoughts and prayers for the victims and survivors, but then refuse to bring real gun control legislation to a vote. It’s happening again in the wake of the Parkland shooting. House Majority Leader Paul Ryan has indicated he has no plans to push for gun control in the House.4 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just put aside gun control legislation to make room to pass giveaways to big banks.5 These politicians often try to excuse their cowardice by saying there’s no evidence that gun control works. But a recent major study by RAND provides clear evidence that they are wrong and “reveals what a depraved dereliction of responsibility doing nothing yet again will really amount to.”6 Congress will continue to be derelict in its responsibilities if our representatives continue to be in the pocket of the NRA. Our friends at NoNRAMoney.org are working hard to get elected officials and candidates to pledge not to take the NRA’s money. But the NRA’s lackeys will not give up that money without a fight. At a CNN town hall after Parkland, survivor Cameron Kasky asked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio if he would stop taking NRA money. Rubio, to jeers from the audience, refused to do so.7 We need to amplify Kasky’s pressure across the country and demand that every elected official refuse to take the NRA’s blood money. Can you add your name today? Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/no_NRA_funding?t=7&akid=27503%2E3130208%2EIKj5fV - Heidi Hess, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Aaron Williams, "Have your representatives in Congress received donations from the NRA?" The Washington Post, Feb. 15, 2018. Lesley Clarke, "Congress’ NRA loyalists say new gun laws won’t ease shooting sprees," Miami Herald, Feb. 15, 2018. Kia Lerner & Josh Israel, "The NRA is being supported by these companies," ThinkProgress, Feb. 20, 2018. Rachel Blade, "Ryan throws cold water on gun control push," POLITICO, FEB. 27, 2018. Alexander Bolton and Sylvan Lane , "McConnell shelves gun bills for banking reform," The Hill, March 1, 2018. Greg Sargent, "This major new report on gun deaths should shock us all," The Washington Post, Mar. 2, 2018. Eli Watkins, "Rubio stands by accepting NRA contributions: 'People buy into my agenda,'" CNN, Feb. 22, 2018. #stopNRA

Sign the petition: Block the NRA’s dream bill

Senate Democrats: Stop the NRA. Block concealed carry reciprocity

Tell Senate Democrats: “Block concealed carry reciprocity legislation that would undermine state laws that protect residents from gun violence.”

Add your name:

Parkland, Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas, Orlando. Whether it’s mass shootings or the appalling number of daily gun deaths, the National Rifle Association’s “guns everywhere” agenda is fueling an epidemic of gun violence in our country.

After each mass tragedy, Republicans offer their thoughts and prayers for the victims but show their blind allegiance to the NRA by refusing to act to keep their constituents safe. But now that Trump’s in the White House, they are going even further to help the NRA ramp up its extremist agenda on a national scale – with a reckless, dangerous bill to undermine gun safety laws across the country.

The right-wing Republican extremists in the House of Representatives recently passed the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) dream bill.1 The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would undermine state efforts to protect residents from gun violence and force every state to abide by the weakest gun laws in the country.

Now more than ever we need to do everything we can to stop the NRA. Republicans are so beholden to the NRA that they will do their bidding, but Democratic senators have the power to block the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Can you add your name today to make sure they act as a firewall between our communities and the NRA’s extremism?

Tell Senate Democrats: Block the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Click here to sign the petition.

Every state allows some kind of concealed carry, but 39 states require a gun owner to obtain a permit before publicly carrying concealed weapons in public.2 Some of those states require training before residents can get those permits. Some states block people who have committed violent crimes, domestic abusers, stalkers or people with mental illness that make them a danger to themselves or others from buying a gun or getting a concealed carry permit. Nearly every state restricts residents from carrying concealed weapons in places like schools, hospitals, government buildings or bars.3

The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act uses the differences between states’ gun control laws to water down protections across the country. It forces states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by any other state, no matter how lax the state’s permitting standards are.4 It will encourage people, including domestic abusers, who cannot get a concealed carry license in one state to “permit shop:” applying in another state with weaker laws and bringing their gun back to the state where they live.5 A resident of a state whose legislature has stood up for public safety and passed gun control legislation would be no safer than a resident of a state whose legislature is in the pocket of the NRA.

Years of statistics prove that comprehensive state gun laws lead to fewer gun deaths, but the NRA wants to undermine public safety by advancing a reckless, dangerous policy like concealed carry reciprocity.6 Senate Democrats must use their power to reject the NRA’s extremism and block this deadly bill.

Tell Senate Democrats: Block the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Click the link below to sign the petition:

https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Senate_Concealed_Carry?t=7&akid=27312%2E3130208%2Ey_L0aP

Heidi Hess, CREDO Action


Add your name:

References:

1. Dana Liebelson, "One Month After Texas Church Shooting, House Republicans Vote To Expand Gun Rights," HuffPost, Dec. 6, 2017.
2. Michele Gorman, “Guns in America: What is national concealed carry reciprocity?” Newsweek, April 10, 2017.
3. Ibid.
4. Everytown for Gun Safety, “Federally Mandated Concealed Carry Reciprocity," accessed Dec. 6, 2017.
5. Polly Mosendz, "Get Ready for Concealed Guns in All 50 States," Bloomberg Politics, Nov. 30, 2017.
6. Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, "2016 Gun Law State Scorecard,” accessed Dec. 6, 2017.