The chief executives of 145 U.S. companies pressed Senate leaders to expand background checks to all firearms sales and implement stronger “red flag” laws, marking the latest push by corporate America to pressure Congress to take meaningful action on gun violence.
As the Washington Post reports, signatories to a letter sent this morning include the heads of major retailers, tech firms, financial institutions, including Levi Strauss, Twitter, Uber, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Yelp, Bain Capital and Reddit. The letter pointed to mass shootings in recent weeks—including those in El Paso; Dayton, Ohio; and Gilroy, California—but also called out a broader epidemic of gun violence that kills 100 Americans each day and wounds hundreds more.
“As leaders of some of America’s most respected companies and those with significant business interests in the United States, we are writing to you because we have a responsibility and obligation to stand up for the safety of our employees, customers and all Americans in the communities we serve across the country,” the executives wrote.
Corporate America has increasingly weighed in on pressing social and political issues facing the country and the world, including immigration and abortion. On gun violence, companies including retailers and banks have considered whether to overhaul their policies or distance themselves from the vast firearm industry—or not. Gun sellers have come under acute pressure to limit the sales of firearms, especially since 24 people were killed in two separate shootings at Walmart stores this summer. Read the full story.
