Demand Acton ~ End Gun Violence

Today, a majority of US Senators (55) voted for common sense gun reform — but they fell short of the 60 votes we needed to close fatal gaps in our background check system. That means 45 senators — representing less than 40 percent of the country — ignored the American public and read the talking points the gun lobby handed them. Find out how your senators voted and watch this short video I just recorded about the fight ahead. Some senators deserve real credit for their leadership today. They include Senators Manchin and Toomey, Majority Leader Reid and Senators Schumer, Kirk, Collins, and McCain. And President Obama and Vice President Biden showed the kind of bold leadership we can be proud of tonight. But there are those who should be ashamed for the way they voted — and how they lied to hide their motives. We never thought this fight would be easy or fast. This was round one. Round two begins tomorrow — in the Senate, in the House, and in state houses across the country. You’ve already changed the conversation in Washington. Today marks the biggest majority in the Senate voting for major gun reform in 17 years — and there’s no turning back. Please watch this short video and seize this moment by telling your senators what you think of their vote: http://DemandAction.org/WhatsNext Thanks for being such an important part of the first major round of this fight.  I look forward to working with you in round two. Thanks, Mark Glaze Mayors Against Illegal Guns

a message from VP Biden

“In the months since the terrible tragedy in Newtown, CT, something very powerful has happened. People like you, all across the country, have come together to stand up for common sense reform.” Conventional wisdom in Washington, DC said that gun reform was an impossible issue. They said we were outmatched — that the politics were too hard. They were wrong. The story has changed.” -Vice President Joe Biden As soon as tomorrow, the Senate is going to vote on a bipartisan bill that will expand background checks for gun sales and open the door to the first substantial gun reform in more than a decade. An overwhelming number of Americans support this legislation, including several prominent gun rights groups.  It will save countless lives without limiting 2nd Amendment rights. Vice President Biden wrote a special message for supporters like you to read at this critical moment. Can you take a minute to read it and call your senators right now? Thanks and please forward this message to your friends and family! Mark Glaze Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Listen to Vice President Biden on Reducing Violence Against Women

Listen to Vice President Biden on Reducing Violence Against Women In the Being Biden audio series, Vice President Biden tells the story behind a photo — of where he was, why it matters to him, and how the experience fits into the broader narrative of this Administration. In this installment, the Vice President tells the story behind a photo taken with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backstage at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards. The two discussed their shared commitment to reduce violence against women — and their call for all Americans to continue to speak out on this issue. Check out this edition of Being Biden:

A Golden Tennis Shoe

The Golden Tennis Shoe Awards are my favorite event of the year. I get to honor ordinary citizens who have done extraordinary things to improve their communities. I get to the opportunity to spotlight the stories of these exemplary individuals and to recognize their inspiring work. This year promises to be especially exciting because we have the Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden keynoting and helping us honor this year’s awards recipients.

Please click here to RSVP, this is a very popular event and space is limited!

Here are the luncheon details:

Noon, Monday, April 29th

At the Westin Hotel

1900 5th Avenue

Seattle, Washington

www.pattymurray.com/GTS

I hope that you can join us at the luncheon. It will be an incredible opportunity to see the awardees and hear from Dr. Jill Biden, a lifelong educator who is also a military mom. I am so excited to welcome my friend to Seattle and would love to have your help.

Sincerely,

Patty Murray US Senator

The Senate Evolves

ThinkProgress War Room

50 Faces of Equality

The Senate is not known for moving quickly, but the past few days have seen a major sprint toward marriage equality among Senate Democrats and even two Republicans. With the evolution of two more senators, Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Tom Carper (D-DE), just today, there are now 50 senators who support marriage equality. With marriage equality-supporting Vice President Biden casting the tie-breaking vote, that means a majority of the Senate is now in favor of equality.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

Exxon’s duck-killing tar sands pipeline won’t pay taxes to oil spill fund.

We know precious little about tar sands oil.

Kansas Republicans mock rape exceptions for abortion restrictions as “little gotcha amendments.”

UN approves Arms Trade Treaty opposed by Syria, Iran, North Korea, and the NRA.

GOP Congressman: If we limit high-capacity magazines, same-sex marriage will lead to bestiality.

Why the LGBT undocumented need immigration reform.

Two-thirds of Louisianans oppose Bobby Jindal’s plan to raise taxes on the poor, slash them on the rich.

Austerity pushes EU unemployment to another record high.

The president launches $100 MILLION initiative to map the brain.

Swearing-in Ceremony of Julia Pierson as the Director of the U.S. Secret Service

President Obama delivers remarks at a swearing-in ceremony for Julia Pierson as the Director of the U.S. Secret Service. March 27, 2013.

Vice President Biden on Reducing Gun Violence

 

Vice President Biden answers questions about the Obama administration’s proposals to reduce gun violence. February 19, 2013.

Ask Republicans to Watch: the PSA against dating violence … VAWA

1 is 2 many PSA   <- Please … Click on the link

 

 

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden join with Eli Manning, Jeremy Lin, Jimmy Rollins, Evan Longoria, David Beckham, Joe Torre and Andy Katz in this PSA to raise awareness about dating violence.

 

 Despite the significant progress made in reducing violence against women, young women continue to face the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault. In the last year, one in 10 teens has reported being physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

 

One in five young women has been sexually assaulted while in college.

 

In response to these alarming statistics, Vice President Biden launched the 1 is 2 many campaign last year.

 

This campaign focuses his longstanding commitment to reducing violence against women specifically on teens and young women ages 16-24.

 

 By targeting the importance of changing attitudes that lead to violence, and educating the public on the realities of abuse, this Administration is leading the way to stop violence against women  …More

 

 

 

Citizen Response …

 

Use the Citizen Response tool at WhiteHouse.Gov/SOTU to share what specific lines of the State of The Union mean to you.

FAIR SHARE

 

Tell Congress to protect Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and Social Security! Conservative lawmakers are trying to put Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act on the chopping block instead of making the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes. This week Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and its partners are planning a massive push to let the deficit fearmongers know where the American people stand: Cuts to these vital programs are unacceptable, and we cannot continue to let wealthy corporations get away with paying less than their fair share of taxes. To break through the clutter, HCAN is using the social media tool Thunderclap to ensure that our message is heard. Thunderclap allows Twitter and Facebook users to send the same message at the same time, amplifying their words for maximum impact. Choose “Support with Twitter” or “Support with Facebook” – or both! With your help, thousands of people across the country will demand that big corporations pay their fair share and that Washington not cut important programs like health care and Social Security. Thanks, Will O’Neill Health Care for America Now