Upcoming votes on gun violence, the border wall, and equal pay: Civic action to-do list for 2-25-19

3. For the first time in nearly a decade, the House of Representatives is set to vote on two important gun violence prevention measures that close loopholes in federal law allowing violent offenders to purchase guns without completing a background check.

In a Nutshell: Members of the House will have an opportunity to vote on two bills – 1) H.R. 8 would mandate that every person who purchases a gun has to go through a background check and 2) H.R. 1112 would extend the time period for background investigations in order to minimize the risk that someone is able to purchase a gun that is prohibited from doing so. (learn more here)

Take Action: Tell your representatives to co-sponsor and vote "yea" on both of these bills!

2. This week the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a resolution to reverse the emergency order President Trump declared in order to build a wall on the southern border.

In a Nutshell: Instead of relying on the intelligence community proposals on how to best to respond to the humanitarian needs at the southern border, the president is focused on building a border wall that does nothing to address the issues. (learn more here)

Take Action: Call on Congress to vote in favor of the resolution and work together to pass comprehensive immigration reform to address the real needs of immigrants and asylum seekers.

1. The House Committee on Education & Labor will be debating The Paycheck Fairness Act tomorrow, a bill that enhances already existing legislation by providing new tools to battle the pervasive pay gaps that still exist.

In a Nutshell: Women continue to be paid less than men for similar work – on average a woman earns 80.5 cents for every dollar a man earns and women's median earnings are $10,086 less than men's. Clearly, new legislation needs to be passed to ensure equal pay for equal work! (learn more here)

Take Action: See if your Representative is on the committee and call them to make sure they will be supporting the bill tomorrow at markup.