Ad Criticizes Johnson for Putting Politics Before Public Safety by Voting Against an Expansion of Background Checks Just Eight Days after Orlando Mass Shooting
MADISON, Wis. – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Wisconsin chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, will run a full-page ad in the Wisconsin State Journal on Sunday blasting Sen. Ron Johnson for voting against criminal background checks on all gun sales just eight days after the mass shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others. The Orlando shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, and in its wake Everytown and Moms launched the #DisarmHate campaign, which has driven more than 260,000 calls to Congress urging lawmakers to do more to keep Americans safe from gun violence.
In addition to the full-page ad in the State Journal, digital ads will run on Facebook and Twitter throughout the next week. This week, Everytown and Wisconsin Moms Demand Action also launched an accountability effort targeting Johnson’s district offices during Congressional recess. Wisconsin moms and gun violence survivors have been passing out fliers and gathering petition signatures in front of Johnson’s Milwaukee office.
“As one of Senator Johnson’s constituents and a Wisconsin mom, I expect my senator to stand with his constituents, not be in the pocket of the gun lobby,” said Chris Krasovich of Pewaukee, volunteer with the Wisconsin chapter of Moms Demand Action. “But Senator Johnson again kowtowed to special interests in the wake of the worst mass shooting in modern American history. He turned a blind eye to the 91 Americans who are shot and killed every day in this country. Senator Johnson turned his back on the majority of Americans who support criminal background checks for all gun sales. This isn’t about one vote or one bill—and we will remember his dangerous track record and complacency in November.”
The Wisconsin effort is part of a series of accountability events happening over the July 4th Congressional recess period in states across the country. Gun safety supporters will hold events in key Senate and House districts and will ask the following senators to ‘Buck the NRA’ and put public safety ahead of politics: Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Dean Heller of Nevada, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Marco Rubio of Florida.