We are reeling from the senseless slaying of children in Texas, and we will not tolerate "thoughts and prayers" from our elected leaders who can do something about this RIGHT NOW.

Background checks have proven to work, and the overwhelming majority of the American people (90% in most polls) want Congress to pass them.

But that does not mean it will happen, due to the Senate filibuster—where a vocal minority can hold up any legislation that does not have 60 senators to bring it up to a vote.

After the Sandy Hook massacre, Congress in 2013 took up gun background checks with bipartisan support. The bill died on the Senate floor despite majority support, because it failed to override a filibuster.

The filibuster does not "encourage consensus," or else something with near-universal support like gun background checks would have passed years ago. Instead, it's the final refuge of obstructionists who seek to block any and all sensible reform. How many more mass shootings will happen until we abolish the filibuster?

Sign and send the petition to your Democratic U.S. Senator: We must end the filibuster, or the Senate will never pass sensible gun safety reform to stop these mass shootings.