Well, despite the fact that 90% of Americans want to see background checks for gun purchases written into law; despite the fact that the bill actually got a majority of votes in the Senate; and despite the fact that some 3,500 Americans have been fatally shot since the Newtown massacre on December 12 – the Senate voted down the Manchin-Toomey background check bill.
I will be honest: I am so angry, I can hardly see straight. This is not right. By any measure.
At the same time, I agree with the President: This is Round One (you can watch the video of his very powerful, and very angry, statement, below). This will happen, if we don’t lose focus, if we don’t lose our passion. If we continue to stand up and say that something has to change – we will bring that change.
Here’s how we do that: We don’t let up. We keep the pressure on.
Click here to see how the vote broke down, and if your Senator(s) voted yea, please call and thank them, especially if it’s one of these Republicans:
- McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235
- Kirk (R-IL) 202-224-2854
- Toomey (R-PA) 202- 224-4254
- Collins (R-ME) 202-224-2523
If, on the other hand, your Senator(s) voted no, call them and tell them what you think – here’s the list of all the nays, by state, followed by their direct phone numbers* (if you’re looking for email addresses, go here).
CALL THEM.
- Alabama: Sessions (202) 224-4124 Shelby (202) 224-5744
- Alaska: Begich (202) 224-3004 Murkowski (202) 224-6665
- Arizona: Flake (202) 224-4521
- Arkansas: Boozman (202) 224-4843 Pryor (202) 224-2353
- Florida: Rubio (202) 224-3041
- Georgia: Chambliss (202) 224-3521 Isakson (202) 224-3643
- Idaho: Crapo (202) 224-6142 Risch (202) 224-2752
- Indiana: Coats (202) 224-5623
- Iowa: Grassley (202) 224-3744
- Kansas: Moran (202) 224-6521 Roberts (202) 224-4774
- Kentucky: McConnell (202) 224-2541 Paul (202) 224-4343
- Louisiana: Vitter (202) 224-4623
- Mississippi: Cochran (202) 224-5054 Wicker (202) 224-6154
- Missouri: Blunt (202) 224-5721
- Montana: Baucus (202) 224-2651
- Nebraska: Fischer (202) 224-6551 Johanns (202) 224-4224
- Nevada: Heller (202) 224-6244 Reid (but Senator Reid gets a pass for voting against the thing he supports for the reasons you can read about by clicking here)
- New Hampshire: Ayotte (202) 224-3324
- North Carolina: Burr (202) 224-3154
- North Dakota: Heitkamp (202) 224-2043 Hoeven (202) 224-2551
- Ohio: Portman (202) 224-3353
- Oklahoma: Coburn (202) 224-5754 Inhofe (202) 224-4721
- South Carolina: Graham (202) 224-5972 Scott (202) 224-6121
- South Dakota: Thune (202) 224-2321
- Tennessee: Alexander (202) 224-4944 Corker (202) 224-3344
- Texas: Cornyn (202) 224-2934 Cruz (202) 224-5922
- Utah: Hatch (202) 224-5251 Lee (202) 224-5444
- Wisconsin: Johnson (202) 224-5323
- Wyoming: Barrasso (202) 224-6441 Enzi (202) 224-3424
*Please note: I copy-pasted these numbers from the Senate website. If something’s amiss (my fault or theirs) you can always call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senators by name.
*
Big, big h/t to my internet pal @ferallike, who started tweeting out phone numbers almost immediately upon the completion of the vote.