After my son, Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, was shot and killed near UC Santa Barbara in May, I pledged to do everything I could to hold elected officials accountable for passing stronger gun laws.

If candidates for federal office want our votes, they have to make their positions clear on common-sense gun laws.

You can help by asking the candidates in your area where they stand on ten key solutions to gun violence in America. All they have to do is fill out the Gun Sense Voter Questionnaire.

Click here to watch my short message about the questionnaire — then ask the candidates in your area to fill out the Gun Sense Voter Questionnaire before the August 15 deadline.

We know where the public stands on common-sense gun laws. More than 90 percent of Americans support background checks on all gun sales.

Once we know where our candidates stand on these issues, we’ll combine that information with their prior statements, votes and co-sponsorships to mobilize Americans to support or oppose them at the ballot box this November and beyond.

But we can’t just assume candidates will respond unless we tell them to.

Click here to ask your candidates to fill out the questionnaire as soon as possible.

Together, we’re going to work to hold elected officials accountable — and it starts with making sure the folks running for office are up front about their positions on gun laws.

Thanks for taking action,

Richard Martinez

This week, President Obama will welcome 50 African leaders to the nation’s capital, as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

The three-day summit is the largest event that any U.S. president has held with African heads of state, and will build on the President’s trip to Africa in 2013.

National Security Advisor Susan Rice sat down to preview the summit, and explain what this means for both the United States as well as for the African nations attending this historic event.

Watch Susan Rice preview the summit, and find out more about this historic event.

Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Help the Middle Class

In this week’s address, the President discussed the new monthly jobs report and the fact that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July for the sixth straight month — the longest streak since 1997. To ensure this momentum can be sustained, the President is pressing Congress to act to create jobs and expand opportunity from raising the minimum wage, to helping people pay back their student loans, to fair pay and paid leave.

READ MORE

Highlights from Dr. Biden’s Trip to Africa

Last month, Dr. Jill Biden traveled to Africa on a three-country visit to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone, to highlight how girls’ education and women’s participation in government and civil society can foster economic growth and strengthen government institutions.

READ MORE

Digital Briefing: An Update from Ben Rhodes on Ukraine

Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes provides an update on recent U.S. actions with regard to Ukraine and offers an overview of America’s policy position.

READ MORE

Have you checked your mailbox lately?

Just this week, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote, “Republicans have signaled early, in two key State Senate races, that they are ready to go negative with crude attack mailings with November’s election day still 99 days away.”

With the help of extremist big-money donors, Republicans are trying to intimidate my colleagues and me into backing down on our ambitious agenda to build a Washington that works for us all. They plan to bring in so much money that they’ll not only scare off Democrats on the ballot this November — they think they’ll be able to build a big enough war chest that they’ll even intimidate me.

Here’s the thing: They’re wrong. I’m not backing down. But to prove it to them, I need your help.

Click here to donate $5 before Thursday’s July 31 fundraising deadline, and help me keep fighting for a Washington that works for all.

When I walked into the governor’s office, I laid out big goals to improve our state — like creating jobs, fully funding our schools, acting on climate change, and ensuring our roads are safe for truckers and families alike. We can’t reach those goals unless we show our commitment.

Our opponents are already trying to use our agenda as a wedge to divide voters. They’ve committed huge sums of money to defeating my colleagues on Election Day and turning back the clock on our progress. They’ve even asked for more money from their donors to “elect more Republicans to stand up against Jay Inslee.”

That’s why we need to show we’re not backing down. We need to show we have the strength to meet the opposition dollar-for-dollar — even if we have to do it with just a few dollars at a time.

We can show Republicans that we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and we can send their big-money donors a big message. We can tell them that no matter how much they spend to distort my record, we’ll hit them right back.

Show the opposition that you’re not intimidated by their big dollar donors. Click here to contribute $5 now.

Thanks for your commitment to building a better future for Washington.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee