Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Applaud Selection of Senator Kamala Harris as Vice President Joe Biden’s Running Mate to Form the Strongest Presidential Gun Safety Ticket in History

Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris’ Strength On Gun Safety Illustrates How Gun Politics Has Changed

Senator Kamala Harris Recently Participated in Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Moms Demand Action’s Virtual Series, “Demanding Women: Quarantine Conversations About Gun Violence” 

Everytown has Committed to Spending a Record $60 Million to Elect Gun Sense Champions Up and Down The Ballot in November

NEW YORK — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statements on the selection of Senator Kamala Harris as Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate.On May 18, Senator Harris, participated in Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Moms Demand Action’s 12-part virtual conversation series called “Demanding Women: Quarantine Conversations About Gun Violence.” During the series, Senator Harris was one of 12 prominent women leaders, also reported potential vice presidential contenders, to join. You can watch the Senator Harris episode of the series here.

“Vice President Biden and Senator Harris will be the strongest gun safety ticket in American history, which speaks volumes about how quickly the political calculus has shifted away from the gun lobby and toward common-sense gun laws,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown and our grassroots networks are poised to play a decisive role in electing gun sense champions up and down the ballot, starting with Vice President Biden and Senator Harris, who have never hesitated to go toe to toe with the NRA to protect Americans from gun violence.”
 
“Vice President Biden and Senator Harris are poised to make history this November,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “There is no doubt this will be the strongest gun safety ticket ever, and when we elect Vice President Biden as president and Senator Harris as his vice president, Americans will be safer. Senator Harris has proven over and over again that she is a gun sense champion and Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers are ready to fight like hell to ensure we elect Vice President Biden and Senator Harris come November — because as Senator Harris said during our recent Demanding Women conversation, when we fight, we win.” 

The Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund plan to spend at least $60 million on the 2020 elections — double what these entities spent during the 2018 elections, and more than any gun safety opponent, including the NRA, reported spending on the 2016 elections. As part of Everytown’s work to outflank opponents of gun safety in 2020, the organizations have already:

• Announced significant investments up and down the ballot in Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, and Georgia.
• Awarded the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction to nearly 2,400 candidates this cycle.
• Mobilized thousands of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers, who have spent months phone banking and canvassing for candidates running on gun safety in 2020. 

Senator Harris’ strong record on gun safety was included in a new report released by Everytown for Gun Safety last week. Highlights include:

• Senator Harris joined the “Demanding Women” series to discuss fighting community gun violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “I will be here always standing and fighting for what is right because the goal for all of us is that not another mother has to shed a tear, not another father has to shed a tear or a sibling, or a child, because the person they loved, that they relied on, that they respected was tore down by gun violence.”
• Senator Harris’ 2020 presidential candidacy included a robust and comprehensive gun violence prevention platform. Senator Harris vowed to take executive action if Congress failed to pass comprehensive gun safety legislation including background checks and repealing gun industry immunity within her first 100 days as president––including by strengthening background checks, closing the boyfriend loophole, holding accountable dealers and manufacturers that break the law, and reversing a Trump-era change that has allowed many fugitives to buy guns.
• As a U.S. Senator, Senator Harris has cosponsored Everytown-endorsed gun violence prevention legislation, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, prohibiting dating partners and stalkers from having guns via the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, regulating assault weapons, regulating high capacity magazines, regulating 3D-printed guns, prohibiting gun possession by people convicted of violent hate crimes, and extreme risk legislation.
• Senator Harris has been a vocal critic of the NRA, including its recent efforts to block the Violence Against Women Act from being reauthorized.
• Senator Harris signed a letter with a group of 16 Senators to the FBI and ATF listing five key steps the two bureaus should take to protect public safety as gun sales spike and Americans self-quarantine at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As California Attorney General, she sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to direct funding to the CDC to study the causes and prevention of gun violence.
• In 2016, she received an “F” grade from the NRA.

One year ago yesterday, Senator Harris participated in Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s Presidential Gun Sense Forum.