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Update: On March 25, 2019, March For Our Lives volunteers delivered 6,000 handwritten letters to Senators from constituents across the country in support of S. 42! Thanks to everyone who sent letters to MFOL-DC as part of this campaign. The bill now has more than 40 co-sponsors.
The Washington, D.C. chapter of March For Our Lives has launched a terrific letter-writing campaign in support of Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy‘s S. 42, the Background Checks Expansion Act. S. 42 would require universal background checks on all private sales of firearms, save those between immediate family members.
March For Our Lives D.C. is asking Americans across the country to write letters to their two Senators urging support for S. 42. Those letters should be mailed to the MFOL chapter. Students in the chapter will personally deliver your letters during a lobby day event on Capitol Hill on March 25, 2019.
Support for S. 42 is critical because it is a clean bill free of harmful gun lobby provisions drafted by the NRA. The same cannot be said about background checks legislation co-sponsored by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA). The Manchin-Toomey proposal would ban federal registration of firearms, roll back critical regulations preventing handgun trafficking, and make the “Charleston Loophole” even worse. Additionally, S. 42 is a universal background checks bill. Manchin-Toomey would only expand background check requirements to commercially-advertised private sales of firearms (at gun shows, over internet, through classified ads in newspapers, etc.).
Please participate in the March For Our Lives letter-writing campaign in support of S. 42 by taking the following steps:
1) Find out if your two Senators have already co-sponsored S. 42. Visit the following link and search “s42”. Click on the bill number and then the Cosponsors tab on the next page:
If you do not know who your two Senators are, click here:
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
2) Write letters to your two Senators using the template text below, personalized to your liking.
If the Senator has not co-sponsored S. 42
As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to co-sponsor S. 42, the Background Checks Expansion Act introduced by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. This bill would require universal background checks on all private sales of firearms save those between immediate family members. This is a desperately needed reform that would put a significant obstacle in the way of violent people who cannot pass background checks and buy guns through a federally licensed dealer. This includes felons, those under active restraining orders, and individuals who have been involuntarily committed because of severe mental illness. The alternative background checks legislation introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey is riddled with dangerous gun lobby provisions and insufficient. Co-sponsor Sen. Murphy’s S. 42 instead and request that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell bring it to the floor for consideration. Gun control is a VERY important issue to me. If you want my vote in the future, I want to see you fighting to save lives.
If the Senator has co-sponsored S. 42
Thank you so much for co-sponsoring S. 42, the Background Checks Expansion Act introduced by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. This is a desperately needed reform that would put a significant obstacle in the way of violent people who cannot pass background checks and buy guns through a federally licensed dealer. Please do not extend your support to the alternative background checks legislation introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey. They are not proposing to make background checks universal and their legislation is riddled with dangerous gun lobby provisions. I want to see you pushing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow a floor vote on Sen. Murphy’s S. 42 instead. I am a voter and gun control is a very important issue to me. I won’t settle for “gun control can’t get done in the Senate.” I want my Senators fighting for votes on legislation that can save lives.
3) Mail your two letters to the Washington, D.C. chapter of March for Our Lives at the address below:
March For Our Lives GW
800 21st Street, NW
Suite 505
Washington, DC 20052
Your letters will be hand-delivered to your Senators on March 25, 2019!
Once you have mailed your letters to MFOL DC, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!