THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND CONTINUING GUN VIOLENCE CANNOT WAIT
President Biden must tackle the climate crisis and gun violence with bold executive action.
QUICK READ: Despite President Biden’s campaign promises to attack the climate crisis and protect Americans from gun violence, the planet continues warming with catastrophic results. Meanwhile, children and adults are still dying from military assault weapons. And MAGA Republicans in the Senate and on the Supreme Court continue to block his ability to fight for the American people. Biden still has the power, however, to respond to the climate and gun crises with Executive Orders. Our Members of Congress must continue pressing him to immediately do so boldly.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
Despite President Biden’s campaign promises to attack the climate crisis and protect Americans from gun violence, the planet’s catastrophic warming continues, and Americans are still dying from military-grade assault weapons.
The weak bipartisan gun legislation wouldn’t have prevented the 3 most recent mass shootings, since it didn’t outlaw the high-powered assault weapons used there and in most mass shootings.
Biden’s ability to regulate carbon emissions and boost clean energy was severely crippled by SCOTUS’ limits on the Clean Air Act’s scope and Manchin’s refusal to support proposed environmental legislation.
Senator Merkley is leading the fight to convince Biden to immediately declare a national climate emergency, that would:
Leverage federal legislation, purchasing power, and rule-making authority to promote affordable renewable energy technologies,
Ban crude oil exports and new leases on federal lands and waters,
Strengthen clean air and water quality standards.
Biden’s executive tools to combat gun violence include:
Declaring it a public health epidemic and establishing White House Gun-Violence Prevention Office,
Defining anyone selling more than 5 guns a “gun dealer,” requiring licensing,
Preventing federal agencies from awarding contracts to companies selling military-grade firearms to citizens.
While still seeking legislative solutions, our MoCs must press Biden to act forcefully to save our planet and ourselves.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
While you must continue seeking legislative solutions to the catastrophic rulings of the MAGA Republican Supreme Court supermajority by pushing Senate leadership to bring to the floor all House-passed legislation, you also need to keep pressing President Biden to use his executive authority to the fullest extent possible. Thank you for leading the call to convince President Biden to use his executive authority to declare a climate emergency, but he also needs to use it to better protect Americans from gun violence. .
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
While you must continue seeking legislative solutions to the catastrophic rulings of the MAGA Republican Supreme Court supermajority by pushing Senate leadership to bring to the floor all House-passed legislation, you also need to press President Biden to use his executive authority to the fullest extent possible by declaring a national climate emergency and declaring gun violence a public health emergency.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
You cannot continue to ignore the thousands of Americans who are killed annually by gun violence and the ease with which Americans can acquire military-style assault weapons, of which even the police are afraid. Nor can you ignore the climate calamities that worsen every year. It is time to do your legislative duty and join Democrats in solving these extremely serious problems.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you for quickly passing legislation to try to undo some of the catastrophic rulings of the MAGA Republic Supreme Court supermajority. Hopefully, they will soon be joined by a ban on assault weapons. Although executive orders on these matters are not as broad or long-lasting as legislation, please press President Biden to use his executive authority to the fullest extent possible by declaring a national climate emergency and declaring gun violence a public health emergency.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
You cannot continue to ignore the thousands of Americans who are killed annually by gun violence and the ease with which Americans can acquire military-style assault weapons, of which even the police are afraid. Nor can you ignore the climate calamities that worsen every year. It is time to do your legislative duty and join Democrats in solving these extremely serious problems.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you for quickly passing legislation to try to undo some of the catastrophic rulings of the MAGA Republic Supreme Court supermajority. Hopefully, they will soon be joined by a ban on assault weapons. Although executive orders on these matters are not as broad or long-lasting as legislation, please press President Biden to use his executive authority to the fullest extent possible by declaring a national climate emergency and declaring gun violence a public health emergency..
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you for quickly passing legislation to try to undo some of the catastrophic rulings of the MAGA Republic Supreme Court supermajority. Hopefully, they will soon be joined by a ban on assault weapons. Although executive orders on these matters are not as broad or long-lasting as legislation, please press President Biden to use his executive authority to the fullest extent possible by declaring a national climate emergency and declaring gun violence a public health emergency.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you for quickly passing legislation to try to undo some of the catastrophic rulings of the MAGA Republic Supreme Court supermajority. Hopefully, they will soon be joined by a ban on assault weapons. Although executive orders on these matters are not as broad or long-lasting as legislation, please press President Biden to use his executive authority to the fullest extent possible by declaring a national climate emergency and declaring gun violence a public health emergency.
ACTION 3: GOOD TROUBLE
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
NEXT TUESDAY LETTER WRITING PARTY, Aug. 9, 11:30am-12:30pm - INDIVISIBLE OREGON:
https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/442887/Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday. (NOW DELAYED. WATCH THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.)
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive Jamie McLoud Skinner, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
further reading:
Stacey Abrams Aims to Put Abortion at Center of Georgia Governor Race - The New York Times
Key facts about abortion views in the U.S. | Pew Research Center
A new measure of the bleak, alarming partisan divide in America - The Washington Post
Many young Democrats are furious at Democrats. But they’re pushing through. - The Washington Post
On the campaign trail, some Republicans talk in violent terms - The Washington Post
Welcome to Texas, Cradle of American Theocracy
Opinion | Can These Evangelicals Save Their Movement? - The New York Times
An 'imposter Christianity' is threatening American democracy - CNN
