Nationwide gun-control campaign to put pressure on wavering U.S. senators

Advocates for stricter gun laws are making their biggest push yet to bring wavering lawmakers into their camp, holding more than 140 public events in 29 states on Thursday designed to pressure senators into voting for universal background checks.

With negotiations on Capitol Hill over legislation largely stalled in recent weeks, gun-control groups hope that staging a “National Day to Demand Action” will help them regain momentum more than three months after the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., sparked a national debate over gun laws.

The Senate plans to begin voting on gun-control legislation as early as April 8, when lawmakers return to Washington following a two-week spring recess. Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group that is run and financed by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), began a $12 million TV ad campaign this week targeting senators in 13 states during the recess.

President Obama is also holding a White House event Thursday with mothers who support tougher gun laws.

Read More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/nationwide-gun-control-campaign-to-put-pressure-on-wavering-us-senators/2013/03/27/ec260f9c-96ee-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html