WASHINGTON
Gun Violence Prevention Task Force releases statement on Supreme Court ruling legalizing bump stocks
On Friday, The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force released the following statement on the Supreme Court's ruling reversing the federal ban on bump stocks:
"Today's Supreme Court ruling will cost lives. Bump stocks turn semi-automatic firearms into machine guns. These devices were used with devastating effect in the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 people and injured over 500 more in a matter of minutes.
"The federal ban on these deadly accessories was put in place by a Republican administration and upheld by a Democratic one—because keeping our communities safe isn't a partisan issue. We urge our Republican colleagues to work with us to pass the Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act, introduced by Reps. Dina Titus (NV-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Dan Kildee (MI-08) to ban these deadly devices for good."
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force consists of 180 Members of Congress. Task Force leadership includes:
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-4), Chair
Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-8), Vice Chair
Rep. Jason Crow (CO-6), Vice Chair
Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Chief Whip
Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Vice Chair
Rep. Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Vice Chair
Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Deputy Whip
Rep. Jeff Jackson (NC-14), Vice Chair
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Vice Chair
Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-2), Vice Chair
Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-6), Vice Chair
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Vice Chair
Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Vice Chair
Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2), Vice Chair
Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5), Vice Chair
Rep. Patrick Ryan (NY-19), Vice Chair
Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott (VA-3), Vice Chair
Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35), Vice Chair
Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33), Deputy Whip
—Submitted
WASHINGTON
Padilla introduces bicameral legislation to provide disaster relief for farm workers
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act to provide compensation for farm workers who lose out on work and pay due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters. U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
California is home to up to 800,000 year-round and seasonal farm workers who help power the state's $59 billion agricultural economy, yet despite their contributions to the local, regional, and national economies, there are few protections for the farm workforce. The California agricultural economy faces $2.4 billion in damages from 2023 alone, and that's before accounting for flooded farm worker homes in Pajaro or lost farm worker income. Existing federal disaster relief programs insufficiently compensate farm workers when they lose wages as a result of conditions out of their control.
"California's farm workers labor under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans," said Senator Padilla. "But as farm workers in Pajaro learned last year after extreme flooding, and those across the country know too well, natural disasters can devastate agricultural communities. We must protect the beating heart of our nation's food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers."
"Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado's economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state's farm workers are paying the price," said Senator Bennet. "The people that grow America's fruits, vegetables, and other crops deserve assistance – especially after emergencies like drought, wildfires, or other natural disasters. This legislation recognizes their crucial role in our economy."
"When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across the United States continue to help feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters cause them to lose work and income. In my congressional district, after severe flooding in early 2023, hundreds of farmworkers in the Pajaro community faced displacement and lost wages. They and all farmworkers deserve better. That's why I'm proud to be co-leading the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act with Rep. Salinas and Sens. Padilla and Bennet. Our bill ensures America's indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned," said Representative Lofgren.
"Farm workers have long been excluded from federal disaster relief programs, even as they have been disproportionately impacted by extreme weather such as fires, flooding, and other natural disasters," said United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero. "The same way the federal government provides support to farm owners who lose crops, the federal government should provide support to farm workers who lose work. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers and their families can put food on the table when they are unable to work due to conditions beyond their control."
The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farmworkers
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