Comedian Amy Schumer and her cousin U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York say they need support from people around the country in order to pass a bill to tighten gun control laws.
Senator Schumer and other Democrats introduced the bill in the Senate last month. It would tighten up existing background checks and create new background checks for people who buy guns online or at gun shows. The bill would also increase penalties for the illegal sale of guns.
The Schumers first promoted the bill in August, after a shooter in Louisiana killed 3 people during a screening of Amy Schumer’s movie Trainwreck. After the shooting, Amy Schumer said she wanted to work for a gun control bill that could get enough widespread support to pass.
Now, the cousins are asking people to pressure their Senators to support Chuck Schumer’s bill. At a press conference on Sunday, he said he hopes his cousin can use her platform as a famous comedian to get support for the bill. That day, Amy Schumer asked her 2.3 million followers on Twitter to join her in “ending gun violence and tweet the hashtag #aimingforchange.” She got more than 3,000 retweets.