People to the Senate: Pass Anti-Racist Policing and Common Sense Gun Laws

Jump to today’s actions:

Call the Senate
Call the House

Background

The House just passed two public safety bills: one addresses police violence and one addresses public gun violence. Both are needed to reduce crisis levels of violence that laws should protect us from, regardless of our skin color, neighborhood, who we love, and where or whether we worship.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act put checks on police power. It would reduce incentives for policing by violence, and for targeting that violence against marginalized communities by:

Making prosecution of police misconduct easier, by getting rid of qualified immunity.
Curtailing deaths by banning chokeholds and no-knock warrant.;
Slowing the transfer of military weapons.
Limiting racial profiling.
Creating a national database of police misconduct.

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act (HR 8) would make universal the now-narrow requirement to conduct a background check before selling a gun. It would apply to all but a few transactions.

Both bills enjoy broad public support. Yet even so, they may never pass. One Senator can stop the bill indefinitely just by signaling opposition. That’s the filibuster rule. It’s time for a change in the Senate. Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing and the Bipartisan Background Checks Acts. Reform the filibuster if necessary.

1. Call the Senate.

Script 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].

I fully support The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. If Democrats can’t find votes among Republican colleagues, then I ask you to vote for reforming the filibuster to get it passed. Thank you.

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].

I fully support The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. If Democrats can’t find votes among Republican colleagues, then I ask you to vote for reforming the filibuster to get it passed. Thank you.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

I am calling to ask the Senator to support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. Please join with your Democratic colleagues and pass these bills with bipartisan support. Thank you.

2. Call the House.

Look up your rep.

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 co-sponsoring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. I am proud of your efforts to end police and gun violence. Please keep working on these issues. Thank you.

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].

I am disappointed by your votes against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. Ending police violence and gun violence are important issues to me. I hope you will reconsider your preposition and in the future work for police accountability and sensible gun legislation.

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 co-sponsoring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. I am proud of your efforts to end police and gun violence. Please keep working on these issues. Thank you.

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 co-sponsoring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. I am proud of your efforts to end police and gun violence. Please keep working on these issues. Thank you.

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 voting to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and for co-sponsoring the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. Ending police violence and gun violence are important issues to me, and I ask you to keep working to reform policing and end gun violence. Thank you.

Action 3 - Help Pass For the People Act in the Senate

Help us mobilize activists in other states to contact their MoCs Senators and urge them to support the For the People Act. We’ll have events at 4p on Friday, March 19th and at noon on Saturday, March 20th. Look for sign-up links on the Indivisible Oregon website and here in Action 3 later in the week.