Yesterday, 45 senators chose to ignore their constituents and stand with the gun lobby. And because of Senate rules, this minority was able to stand in the way of a bipartisan measure to expand background checks for gun sales.

A lot of people are reading the headlines today and wondering how these senators had the nerve to get up there—right in front of victims' families from Newtown—and cast that vote against something that more than 90 percent of Americans support. I'm one of them.

Those senators made a cynical calculation that, at the end of the day, the gun lobby would be louder and stronger than we are.

Yesterday was just round one. We will keep fighting.

If you're one of the millions of Americans who care deeply about preventing gun violence, you need to show it today.

Add your name—tell Congress you're not going to back down now until they pass a common-sense gun violence prevention bill.

Here's where we go from here:

The senators on both sides of the aisle who stood up to the pressure and cast tough votes to do the right thing—they're going to know that OFA supporters are going to get their backs.

And those senators who decided that not crossing the gun lobby was more important than making our kids and communities safer—OFA supporters will call them out and hold them accountable to their constituents.

The special interests have been at this longer, and they can do a real good job at scaring people by distorting the facts—they think we'll go away quietly.

But there are so many more of us than there are of them. And as long as you don't give up, we're going to keep fighting, and someday soon, we will win.

Add your name right now to say you're going to keep fighting—for the families of Newtown, Aurora, Tucson, Chicago, and the thousands of other communities that have been torn apart by gun violence.

Add your name

Despite overwhelming public support, yesterday the Senate voted to block common-sense measures to reduce gun violence. This was President Obama's response.

As President Obama just said, "This was a pretty shameful day for Washington."

A majority of senators stood with more than 90 percent of Americans today to support expanding background checks for gun sales. But it wasn't enough—a group of senators defied the will of their constituents and blocked a simple vote on common-sense legislation that would protect our kids and our communities.

The victims of Newtown deserve action. The same goes for the people of Tucson, and Virginia Tech, and Aurora, and Chicago, and every single community that has been devastated by gun violence.

They deserve action now.

Organizing for Action supporters have not let the naysayers hold them back, and they've spoken out loudly in this debate. More than 22,000 of you called the Senate today alone. For anyone wondering, supporters of common-sense reform aren't going anywhere—it's too important that our representatives in Washington clearly hear the voices of the people who put them there.

We won't sit around and let Congress drag its heels while Americans are coming together to demand action. We won't wait for the next Newtown.

This Saturday, OFA supporters are holding events in states where senators hold the key to expanding background checks.

The President's right. Today was just round one. "Those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence have to be as passionate and organized and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to keep our kids safe."

We're not done fighting. Add your name right now to say you're going to keep fighting too.

Add your name

The Senate is expected to vote today on expanding background checks for gun sales—a measure that would go a long way toward reducing gun violence and making our communities safer. Our senators are debating right now, and we expect the vote to be very close—now is the time to speak up.

Can you pick up the phone right now and call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121?

It only takes a few minutes of your time to make your voice heard. Then, make sure you report back on how it went.

Make sure to tell your senator where you're from. And if you'd like, let them know your reason for taking action on gun violence. Maybe you have a friend or a family member who's been affected by gun violence, or maybe you were moved to stand up after the shooting in Newtown, or Tucson, or Virginia Tech. Whatever your reason, your passion will come through and that will make a difference.

These are common-sense reforms that will actually save lives and make our communities safer. If we want the Senate to pass a bill to reduce gun violence, we have to speak up—the special-interest groups on the other side are already well represented in this debate.

Thanks for being a part of this.

Now start calling.

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Due to the events at the Boston Marathon today, we are postponing tomorrow's National Call Day on gun violence prevention. We'll update you when we know more about what's next in this effort.

Please join us in keeping Boston in your thoughts and prayers.

This week, the U.S. Senate is getting ready to vote on a bill that would go a long way toward preventing gun violence and making our communities safer. That's because, in the wake of tragedies like the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, people all across the country spoke out to demand action from Congress.

We cannot let up on our senators—not when we've come this far. This Tuesday, April 16th, we're holding a National Call Day to make sure the voices of ordinary Americans are heard in this debate.

You can get involved from wherever you are. All you have to do is pledge to call your senators on Tuesday.

We'll follow up with their contact information and the resources you need to get it done.

Fellow OFA supporters and our allies will be doing the same thing—calling their senators and letting them know that we haven't forgotten about the toll gun violence is taking on our families and our communities. If we do our jobs right, anyone near a U.S. Senate office on Tuesday will know exactly the kind of passion that's out there to do something about gun violence in this country.

Pledge to call your senator on Tuesday and join the groundswell of voices demanding action from Congress.

Pledge to Call

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Today, we released our first quarterly fundraising numbers at Organizing for Action, and I couldn't be prouder.

In just the first few months of this brand-new organization, 109,582 supporters stepped up and invested in what we're building together—from the grassroots up.

As part of our voluntary disclosure, we're also releasing the names of every supporter who has given $250 or more in this fundraising period. You can see the full list here.

To anyone who thought we couldn't do this, these numbers send a pretty clear message. It's never been done before, but supporters like you are doing it.

Here's something else I'm proud of: Our average donation is just $44.

People—especially the special interests on the other side—are taking notice of what this grassroots-funded organization is up to. We're digging in, we're speaking out, and we're amplifying the voices of ordinary Americans on some of the biggest issues of our time.

We're off to a running start, and we're not turning back.

Now my question to you is: Are you going to let those founding members do it all on their own, or are you going to join them? It's not too late.

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Organizing for Action is staring down our first quarterly fundraising deadline—ever.

After March 31st, we'll have a record of the founding members who helped build this organization from the start.

You should be one of them. Chip in right now to get in on the ground floor.

No one has ever done what we're trying to do: restore the balance of power to ordinary people by countering the special-interest groups with the most powerful grassroots movement ever built.

Make sure you're one of the folks who will make history.

UPDATED 4/1: Wow. Last night we closed the books on our very first quarter, and the response was amazing. Thank you to everyone who chipped in to show that you're on board for the fights ahead—we'll have more info soon. And if you missed the deadline, there's still time to get in on the ground floor and become a member of Organizing for Action today.

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