Letter to President Donald Trump - Tell the NRA to End the Carry Guard Program

Letter

Dear President Trump,

Across the nation you can hear the voices of young people rising up and demanding action on gun violence. Too many Americans are dying because for decades the federal government has been incapable or unwilling to take any action to keep our communities safe.

In the days following the Parkland school shooting, you met with victims' family members and survivors and said, "It's not going to be talk like it has been in the past. It's been going on too long." People believed that you meant what you said, and that you would take action. You then met with lawmakers and called for a gun reform bill, saying the NRA has "great power over you people, they have less power over me." The following day you caved to the NRA. And since then, nothing.

Under pressure from NRA lobbyists, your administration has been paralyzed -- no action has been taken to prevent another tragedy or keep our communities safe. Every day, more people are dying because of this inaction. Since you took office, roughly 23,000 people have been killed by guns, including in 542 mass shootings -- almost one a day.

Today I call on you to take a simple but meaningful step to protect the people of this country. In New York, we recently discovered that the NRA was marketing insurance products that violated multiple provisions of state law, including by providing coverage to gun owners for certain acts of intentional wrongdoing. Following our investigation into the NRA's "Carry Guard" program, New York took enforcement action to immediately stop the sale of these unlawful products and penalize the insurance companies that violated our laws.

It is unconscionable that the NRA is marketing a product that actively promotes and protects violence, and yet shockingly this product is being sold in states nationwide. This program must be stopped. I write to urge you to step up and show national leadership: tell the NRA to end this reckless program that incentivizes dangerous and criminal conduct.

Three quarters of Americans believe in stronger gun safety measures, including majorities from both major parties. Commonsense measures should not be difficult to support -- politically or policy-wise. This nation needs laws that mandate universal background checks, raise the legal age to purchase a gun to 21, and ban assault weapons nationwide. As President, you are beholden to the people of this country and not the NRA.

In New York, we are proud to have the strongest gun safety laws in the nation. We passed the SAFE Act in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, setting a model for the nation on what tough, smart gun safety laws look like. Today New York had the third lowest number of gun deaths per capita in the country, and despite the scare tactics of the NRA, the rights of lawful gun owners have not been infringed upon. As long as I am Governor, New York will continue to advance smart and common-sense measures to keep New Yorkers safe.

It's not enough to be tough on Twitter. You are a New Yorker, your children and grandchildren were raised here -- smart gun control laws have kept your family safe -- shouldn't every American family be afforded the same safety?

Sincerely,

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