[NEW] Americans are safer from gun violence today

Friend, we need you to act now 🚨 Problems viewing this email? [View it in your browser]( [Center for American Progress]( InProgress from the Center for American Progress To make sure you never miss an email from us, please add progress@americanprogress.org to your contacts or safe senders list. Thanks for staying connected with us! The nation is getting safer, but more work needs to be done [A member of the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board addresses a rally outside the U.S. Capitol on May 26, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Getty/Chip Somodevilla)]( Photo credit: Getty Images Last week, the FBI released its full-year [National Incident-Based Reporting System data]( for 2023, showing 2023 had one of the most significant single-year murder rate declines in the country’s history. Earlier this year, the Center for American Progress also released analysis showing that violent crime and gun violence are continuing to drop in 2024, supported by multiple data sources. Although capturing crime and gun violence data in real time has its limitations, the consistency with which declines are being reported by the FBI, local police, and independent third-party sources should give everyone cautious optimism that most American communities are safer today than they were four years ago. [Learn More]( While this is good news, any life lost to gun violence is one too many and officials can’t lose sight of the much-needed investments to keep people safer. 🚨 ACT NOW: Tell Congress to put a down payment on safety and pass the Break the Cycle of Violence Act. Grants funded by this legislation would invest directly in the people and communities most affected to stop gun violence before it happens. [I want to Take Action]( What does democracy mean to you? Democracy is worth fighting for. [Image of the Capitol at night. A list reads “7 important reasons why you should care about democracy: fair representation that involves all people; free, fair, and accessible elections; efficient, effective, and honest government; respect for the rule of law and promotion of equal justice; the rights of political minorities to have meaningful roles in the system; fundamental freedoms and human rights; an independent news media focused on informing the public and holding the government accountable.” Text in the bottom-left corner reads “Photos: Getty Images / Source: CAP, ‘Building a strong U.S. democracy for the 21st century’ (2024).”]( [sHARE THIS]( Court Reform. Now. [Sunset at the Supreme Court, August 2024. (Getty/Allison Robbert) ]( Photo credit: Getty Images Last term, the U.S. Supreme Court continued to overturn long-standing precedent and affirmed cases that made it significantly harder for public agencies to [protect Americans]( from bad actors; [seized power]( from the [elected branches of government]( and declared that the U.S. president is [essentially above the law](. This term, we’re expecting more of the same from the right-wing supermajority on the Supreme Court, as they will have the opportunity to resume advancing a [far-right policy agenda]( in several consequential and politically charged cases. There are [growing call]( for Supreme Court reform across the political spectrum. However, the court will likely only widen the fissures in the rule of law with the cases set to be heard this term. This could result in the court further weakening Americans’ civil rights, voting rights, and freedom from being preyed on by moneyed and powerful private interests. The Supreme Court is set to hear merits cases involving: - [Transgender medical care]( - Requiring [background checks]( on untraceable “ghost guns” - Agencies’ ability to set [clean water standards]( and understand [environmental impacts]( from polluting industries - Regulations on [addictive e-cigarettes]( One thing is clear: SCOTUS seems willing to continue to give power to itself while disempowering Congress and public agencies whose purpose is to protect Americans. We need reform now. [Keep reading]( ICYMI: The experts on the court The Supreme Court has run amok, decimating a century of precedent and stripping rights from women and voters—placing its thumbs on the scale in favor of powerful, right-wing special interests over the American people. Congress needs to enact structural reforms on a Supreme Court that is no longer interested in the law, but in power. Justices must be accountable to the American people, not just their billionaire benefactors and the far-right-wing legal movement. Eighteen-year term limits entwined with a binding and enforceable code of conduct for the justices would begin returning that accountability to the court. We can rebuild a court dedicated to advancing the rule of law and serving all Americans while taking apart one filled with hubris that substitutes their own ideological agenda over that of politically responsive legislators and agency experts. Last week, the Center for American Progress, Third Way, and Court Accountability held “The Future of American Rule of Law: The 2024 SCOTUS Term and the Need for Reforms.” During this event, distinguished experts met and discussed the need for both structural and procedural reforms to the Supreme Court and lower courts to shore up the foundations of the judiciary. 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