Keep the pressure on Congress to repeal the Muslim ban

Two years is too long. It's time for Congress to repeal the Muslim ban.

The petition to Congress reads: "Repeal Donald Trump's racist Muslim ban." Add your name:

Donald Trump began separating and terrorizing Black and Brown families as soon as he took office. His Muslim ban was one of the first racist policies he enacted to attack communities. Over the summer, five justices on the Supreme Court failed to put checks on Trump and refused to strike down the ban.1 Now, it's up to Congress to take the lead. Democrats just reintroduced legislation to block the Muslim ban.2 Congress needs to pass it now. Tell Congress: Two years is too long. Pass legislation to repeal Trump's hateful Muslim ban. Click here to sign the petition. No family should ever be torn apart because of their religion or place of birth – but that's exactly what Trump will continue to do if Congress doesn't stop him. Trump is nothing if not persistent in his crusade to institutionalize his white nationalist agenda. Two of his signature policies – the Muslim ban and asylum ban - stem from a bigoted desire to divide and keep out communities who threaten the white supremacy at the core of his administration. His Muslim ban is dividing many American Muslim families, but it's a more hidden crisis than family separation at the border. Some people locked out by the ban qualify for waivers that would allow them to re-enter the country and reunite with their families, but reports of the government denying people's waiver application even though they meet every criterion are growing.3 The Trump administration is tearing apart Muslim families at U.S embassies scattered around the world – and out of sight of most Americans. We must put a stop to this now. Two years ago, thousands of us were in the streets and at airports welcoming Muslims and refugees and demanding that Congress intervene to block Trump's Muslim ban. We must keep up the fight and use that same grassroots power to force Congress to act now. Rep. Judy Chu and Sen. Chris Murphy just reintroduced legislation that would declare Trump's Muslim ban unconstitutional and bar him from using federal funds to enforce it.4 This bill moves the fight to repeal the ban one huge step forward. Congress should approve it and work to pass legislation that would completely strike it down. Tell Congress: Two years is too long. Pass legislation to repeal Trump's hateful Muslim ban. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/no-muslim-ban-2019?t=7&akid=31437%2E3130208%2EEwmySc - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Rachel Brown and Georgia Travers, "The Muslim ban expands the cruel policy of family separation," The Washington Post, July 3, 2018. Niels Lesniewski, "Democrats want to defund President Trump's 'Muslim ban,'" Roll Call, Jan. 29, 2019. Brown and Travers, "The Muslim ban expands the cruel policy of family separation." Lesniewski, "Democrats want to defund President Trump's 'Muslim ban.'" #NoMuslimBan

Call Sen. Jeff Flake: Support Sen. Murphy's amendment to stop Saudi-led war in Yemen

For nearly three years, the United States quietly assisted Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy just introduced an amendment in the Senate that would end U.S. funding for this brutal war. The vote could come as soon as today. Will you call Sen. Flake now?

On Aug. 9, the Saudi-led coalition responsible for the brutal war in Yemen dropped a U.S-made bomb on a school bus and killed 44 children.1 This tragedy shattered the media silence about the United States' role in funding this devastating war. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy just introduced an amendment that would end that financial support and help force the war to an end. The Senate could vote any time this week, and Sen. Flake, your senator, could be the deciding vote. Will you call Sen. Flake now to demand his support for Sen. Murphy's amendment?  (202) 224-04521 (520) 575-8633 SAMPLE SCRIPT Hi, my name is ____ and I live in Tucson, AZ. I’m calling to tell Sen. Flake to support Senator Chris Murphy’s amendment to the 2019 Defense Appropriations Act that would cut off U.S. funding for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. Saudis rely on American support and use American-made weapons for their devastating war. On Aug. 9, the Saudi-led coalition dropped a U.S. made bomb on a school bus and killed 40 children. Can I count on Sen. Flake to end our participation in this brutal war? Thank you for your time. For years, the United States has been quietly supporting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. The U.S. government gives Saudi Arabia bombs and planes. U.S. troops even deliver fuel to Saudi jets in midair while they conduct bombings.2 The U.S. helped cause what the U.N. calls the world's gravest humanitarian crisis and helped drive more than 8 million Yemenis to the brink of famine, and cause the worst cholera epidemic in history.3,4 Murphy's amendment to the massive, must-pass 2019 defense appropriations bill would shut down U.S. funding for this brutal war unless the secretary of defense certifies the Saudi-led coalition is not violating international law. A coalition that is blowing up school buses, weddings and hospitals is definitely violating international law. Sen. Murphy’s amendment would effectively stop our tax dollars from flowing into the war in Yemen. Mitch McConnell is trying every trick in the book to block Sen. Murphy’s amendment from even getting to a vote. If key senators, including Sen. Flake, hear from their constituents demanding their support for Sen. Murphy’s amendment, we can make it clear that the time for ignoring our role in Yemen's war is over. Will you call Sen. Flake now to demand his support for Sen. Murphy's amendment? (520) 575-8633 -Kaili Lambe, CREDO Action References: Shuaib Almosawa, Ben Hubbard and Eric Schmitt, "44 Small Graves Stir Questions About U.S. Policy in Yemen,” The New York Times, Aug. 15, 2018. Paul Kawika Martin, "End America’s unauthorized war in Yemen," The Hill, March 4, 2018. Shuaib Almosawa, Ben Hubbard and Troy Griggs, "‘It’s a Slow Death’: The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis," The New York Times, Aug. 23, 2017. Kate Lyons, "Yemen's cholera outbreak now the worst in history as millionth case looms," The Guardian, Oct. 12, 2017.

Tell Congress: Pass the Background Check Expansion Act

Within hours of Tuesday’s attack in New York City, Donald Trump and his extremist, racist colleagues in Congress were using the tragedy and demonizing the attacker to ramp up their campaign of fear and hate against Muslims and immigrants.

But after last month’s deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas, Trump and his NRA-beholden colleagues were silent about the white gunman and tried to undermine any conversation about gun violence as “politicization” of the tragedy. Since then, they have not lifted a finger to slow down or stop our country’s gun violence epidemic.

Gun violence doesn’t stop when the media spotlight turns away from mass shootings: Nearly 900 people have been killed by guns since Vegas.¹ Fortunately, gun control champions are using every means at their disposal to keep the pressure on Republicans. Connecticut Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal just introduced the Background Check Expansion Act, which would require background checks for all gun sales.²

Tell Congress: Pass the Background Check Expansion Act. Click here to sign the petition.

In 1993, Congress passed the Brady Bill, which required federally licensed gun retailers to run a background check for every gun purchase. Since then, Brady has prevented more than 3 million gun sales to people who are prohibited purchasers (because they have committed a felony or domestic abuse or have a mental illness that makes them a danger to themselves or others).³ Unfortunately, Brady does not apply to sales at gun shows and sales made through the internet.

It is a loophole with major consequences. While some states have tightened their background check laws, others only rely on Brady. In the states with tighter controls, only 26 percent of sales happen with no background check. In the others, more than 57 percent do.⁴ This discrepancy means that every state is subject to the weaker laws, since people can buy guns in states with weaker laws and bring them into states with stricter ones.

Sens. Murphy and Blumenthal have been trying to pass the Background Check Expansion Act and close the Brady loopholes at the federal level since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. Americans, no matter their party affiliation, are consistently and overwhelmingly supportive of background checks.⁵ But the bill has not moved in Congress because the NRA fights any attempt to stop gun violence and has bought the allegiance of the Republican Party.

Sens. Murphy and Blumenthal know they face the same uphill fight this time around, but they are still demanding that their colleagues act. We can help build momentum to break the NRA’s lock on Congress by showing massive support for their bill.

Tell Congress to pass the Background Check Expansion Act. Click the link below to sign the petition:

https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Murphy_Background_Check?t=7&akid=25863%2E3130208%2E04rH8x

- Heidi Hess, CREDO Action from Working Assets

Add your name:

References:

1. Christopher Brennan, "Nearly 900 people dead in gun violence since Las Vegas massacre," New York Daily News, Oct. 25, 2017.
2. Ana Radelat, "Murphy introduces background-check gun bill as ‘long-haul strategy,'" The Connecticut Mirror, Oct. 25, 2017.
3. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, "Background checks," accessed Nov. 1, 2017.
4. Kate Masters and Lois Beckett, "Just one in five Americans obtains gun without background check, survey finds," The Guardian, Jan. 2, 2017.
5. Hannah Fingerhut, "5 facts about guns in the United States," Pew Research Center, Jan. 5, 2016.

Tell Congress: No legal immunity for the gun industry

Who is responsible?

Tell Congress: “Repeal immunity for the gun industry by passing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act.” Add your name:

The recent mass shooting in Las Vegas was a tragic reminder that we are never going to address the epidemic of gun violence in our country without breaking the gun lobby’s control of Congress. Fortunately, three Democrats – Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Adam Schiff – have introduced the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, which would revoke the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), the law that gives the gun industry legal immunity for negligence that leads to gun-related violence and death.1 We need to put massive pressure on the NRA’s Republican lapdogs and make it impossible for them to ignore this bill. Tell Congress: Repeal immunity for the gun industry by passing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act. Click here to sign the petition. Gun manufacturers and gun dealers are the only industries in America that are protected from lawsuits when their products lead to violence and death.2 That’s not by accident. The NRA pushed its lackeys in Congress to pass the PLCAA in 2005. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act would repeal the PLCAA and allow victims of gun violence to hold gun manufacturers and dealers accountable when their negligence leads to death. The PLCAA is an appalling example of an industry using its money and lobbying power to subvert our judicial system. The courts should decide when and how companies are held accountable when their products lead to harm, and that process should be available to everyone. It isn’t the job of Congress to decide who’s allowed to pursue justice in our courts – especially if it’s driven by a political desire to reward gun lobbyists with deep pockets. The one-sided gift to the gun industry would never have passed if Congress was not deeply in the pockets of the NRA. Can you demand that our elected officials prioritize their constituents over the gun lobby and repeal the PLCAA now? Tell Congress: Repeal immunity for the gun industry by passing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act. Click here to sign the petition. Recently we, along with progressive allies, delivered more than 1 million petition signatures to key Republican leaders demanding that Congress act on gun control. It is clear that the National Rifle Association is feeling the pressure. Its leaders just made a calculated, cynical nod to gun control by suggesting that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should review the legality of bump stocks, which allowed the perpetrator of the Las Vegas massacre to use his semi-automatic weapons like automatic ones.3 It is a craven attempt to help their tarnished image and distract from the massive public demand that Congress finally act. We cannot let them get away with it. It is time to put relentless pressure on Congress to break its blind allegiance to the gun lobby. We must demand that our elected representatives repeal the PLCAA and restore gun victims’ access to our justice system so that the gun industry can be held accountable when their negligence leads to violence and death in our communities. Tell Congress to reverse this terrible mistake and spend its time reducing gun violence instead of handing the gun industry special privileges. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/gun_accountability?t=8&akid=25568%2E3130208%2EJ7I2_D - Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: 1. Russell Blair, "As Promised, Connecticut Democrats Introduce Gun Control Bills," Hartford Courant, Oct. 5, 2017. 2. Center for American Progress, "Immunizing the Gun Industry," Jan. 15, 2016. 3. Addie Baird, "How the NRA and the far-right are quietly mobilizing to kill gun safety reform after Vegas," ThinkProgress, Oct. 5, 2017