Brady Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

BRADY CELEBRATES DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY, CALLS FOR RESOLVE ON GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION IN THE FACE OF THREATS, PROTESTS

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-celebrates-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-day-calls-for-resolve-on-gun-safety-legislation-in-the-face-of-threats-protests

Washington, D.C., January 20, 2020 - Today, Brady celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Dr. King’s legacy by remembering his resolve in the face of adversity.

Brady President Kris Brown remarked:

“Today was supposed to be a day of remembrance and a reminder of the values that Dr. King held and modeled for us: service, nonviolence, community, and concern for all people. Instead, what we’ve seen is an event filled with vitriol and extremism, riled up by a President tweeting falsehoods. Let me be clear: the bills that today’s protest opposed do not infringe upon anyone’s constitutional rights. They are common-sense. They are effective. Laws like these save lives and have been upheld as constitutional. It is why the majority of Virginia voters support them.

To see a day intended to honor those who have been killed by gun violence marred by white supremacy, credible threats of violence, and hate is disheartening, disappointing, and deeply saddening. But, for those very same people we honor today, we cannot give up and we will not be stopped. The Virginia legislature will continue to do the people’s business and enact tested, common-sense gun violence prevention laws across the Commonwealth.

Today, as in all days, I stand with survivors. I stand with reason. And I stand with Virginia.”

Today would have been the 28th annual vigil for victims of gun violence to occur on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the grounds of the Virginia Capitol. Brady was proud to partner with March For Our Lives Virginia, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Virginia Center for Public Safety to organize a small and impromptu vigil at the close of the rally. For almost three decades, this vigil has occurred in conjunction with the state’s “lobby day,” when Virginia residents visit the capitol to speak with their representatives about issues that matter to them most. For attendees of this vigil, those issues are gun violence prevention and gun safety, policies supported by the majority of Virginians.

Ahead of the rally, Brady and fellow gun violence prevention groups assisted March For Our Lives Virginia in launching an online campaign, #IStandWithVirginia, which immediately trended nationally, garnering over 150,000 tweets. The campaign echoes what we already know — the overwhelming majority of Americans support common-sense gun reform.

As of Monday, January 20, 2020, the Virginia State Senate has passed three, common-sense gun safety bills, which protestors opposed:

S.B. 35 – Repeals existing state law that preempts local governments from “adopt[ing] or enforce[ing] any resolution . . . governing the purchase, possession, transfer, ownership, carrying, storage or transportation of firearms.” This existing law stops local governments from enacting legally sound and common-sense regulations of weapons in their jurisdictions. Repeal of this law would empower local governments to create and implement solutions that best address the needs of their constituents and communities.

S.B. 69 – Limits the cadence at which an individual can purchase a handgun to one weapon per month, a policy that was previously enacted in the Commonwealth from 1993 to 2012 and was associated with a dramatic reduction in firearms from Virginia being recovered at crime scenes in other states.

S.B. 70 – Expands and strengthens background checks across the Commonwealth, closing loopholes that allow prohibited purchasers to obtain weapons.

Brady encourages the Virginia House of Delegates to take up and pass these bills.

Brown concluded:

“When confronted with hate, when confronted with threats of violence, our answer must be to remain firm. In the effort to prevent gun violence and save lives, we will not stop, and we will not be silenced.”

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO GIL CISNEROS (CA-39)

BRADY ENDORSES 10 ACTIVE DUTY VETERANS AND CURRENT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FOR 2020 ELECTIONS

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-endorses-10-active-duty-veterans-and-current-members-of-congress-for-2020-reelection

Brady Endorses 10 Active Duty Veterans and Current Members of Congress for 2020 Election


Washington, D.C., December 4, 2019 – Today, Brady endorsed 10 sitting members of Congress, all veterans of the U.S. military, for reelection in 2020.

Brady President Kris Brown stated:

“The men and women who serve in our armed forces understand sacrifice. They understand partnership. And, they understand the responsibility required to own and handle a firearm. The 10 members of Congress, all veterans, who we endorsed today have proven that. In their time in Congress, they have shown all these qualities, working tirelessly on behalf of their constituents and across the aisle to address gun violence in their districts and across our country. They understand that we need common-sense reforms to keep weapons out of the hands of those who cannot responsibly use them and to keep weapons of war out of our communities. It’s why we need to send them back to Washington. We need their perspective. We need their voices. And, we need their leadership.”

Today, Brady endorsed:

Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) – A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq.

Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33) – A U.S. Air Force veteran who currently serves as a Colonel in the Reserves, stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-39) – A U.S. Navy veteran who was deployed to the Western Pacific and Mediterranean and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06) – A U.S. Army Ranger veteran who served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded a bronze star for his actions during the Battle of Samawah.

Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06) – A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served four tours of duty in Iraq.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-09) – A U.S. Army veteran.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) – A U.S. Navy veteran and H3 Sea King helicopter pilot.

Rep. Max Rose (NY-11) – A U.S. Army veteran who served in the War in Afghanistan who was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) – A U.S. Air Force veteran.

Rep. Elaine Luria (VA-02) – A U.S. Navy veteran and among the first women, American sailors to spend her entire career on combat ships.

Candidates endorsed today have a proven track record of supporting common-sense gun safety legislation. Given the urgent need for federal action to reform our nation’s gun laws and to reduce gun violence, Brady will continue to issue endorsements for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and state and local offices ahead of the 2020 elections.

Each of these members is on the record supporting commonsense gun safety policies supported by bipartisan majorities of Americans, including voting for H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 and H.R. 1112, Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019.

H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112 were passed by the 116th Congress in February 2019 and have sat on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel’s desk for over 275 days without a vote.

Brown concluded:

“While we can’t force Senator McConnell to give H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112 the votes they deserve in the Senate, what we can do is vote for candidates who will continue to champion these issues in the United States Congress. We need these members’ voices and their leadership in Washington.”

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.