March For Our Lives D.C. Joins Coalition Fighting For Washington, D.C. Statehood
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 19, 2019
CONTACT:
press@51for51.org
March For Our Lives D.C. Joins Coalition Fighting For Washington, D.C. Statehood
Washington, D.C. — The D.C. chapter of the youth-led group March For Our Lives is the fifth gun violence prevention partner to join 51 for 51 this month, the national D.C. statehood coalition that’s raising awareness about the District’s lack of equal representation in Congress and right to self-govern.
Brady, Newtown Action Alliance, Guns Down America, and Survivors Empowered joined the effort earlier this month as well.
51 for 51 wants presidential candidates to endorse D.C. statehood moving forward with a simple majority vote in the senate.
A person is killed with a gun every three days in the District of Columbia — nearly a quarter of the victims are under the age of 21. Historically, the gun laws of the District of Columbia have been used as a bargaining chip in Congress, and the will — and lives — of residents of Washington, D.C., have been overlooked.
“To address the gun violence epidemic in America, we need to make sure that our democracy works for all of us. Everyone deserves to have their voice represented in Congress. For too long D.C. residents have had no say against the lack of federal gun laws that kill hundreds of people every single week. March for Our Lives D.C. is proud to be joining 51 for 51 in calling for a realistic plan to make sure every resident of our nation’s capital has a say in how we govern our country,” said Chris Stauffer, Local Affairs Director of March for Our Lives D.C.
Ten 2020 presidential candidates, as well as former candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, have voiced their support for the 51 for 51 campaign so far:
- Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Rep. Tim Ryan
- Gov. Steve Bullock
- Rep. John Delaney
- Gov. Jay Inslee
- Andrew Yang
- Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Gov. John Hickenlooper
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51 for 51 is a coalition comprised of D.C.-based and national groups committed to equal representation rights for D.C.’s over 700,000 residents. The coalition of 20 progressive groups says American citizens living in the District deserve a voice in Congress and control over their own local laws.
Additional Information
Website: https://www.51for51.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/51for51