Washington, D.C., February 28, 2021 - On the 27th anniversary of the enactment of the landmark Brady Bill, which fundamentally altered our nation’s gun safety laws and has stopped over 3.5 million firearm sales to prohibited gun purchasers, Brady reiterates the call for common-sense solutions that keep all Americans safe. Under a Biden-Harris Administration and with a gun violence prevention majority in both chambers of the United States Congress, our nation has the best opportunity to pass needed and popular gun violence prevention in a decade. We must seize this opportunity.Brady President Kris Brown shared:“27 years ago exactly the Brady Bill came into effect, changing how our nation approaches gun safety and helping to prevent millions of sales to individuals who should not possess firearms. While we recognize a watershed moment in public safety and gun violence prevention history today, it cannot be lost on us that we are at another such moment. We have the strongest gun violence prevention administration in history with President Joe Biden and VIce President Kamala Harris and a gun violence prevention majority in both chambers of Congress. We have an opportunity to build upon the legacy of the Brady Bill and to stop the uniquely American crisis that kills over 100 people a day. This is a moment for action and we must seize it.”About the Brady Bill:Named for James Brady, President Ronald Reagan’s Press Secretary who was injured in the 1981 attempted assasination of the president and who spent the remainder of his life advocating for common-sense gun violence prevention policies with his wife, Sarah, the Brady Bill serves as the fundamental cornerstone of our nation’s gun violence prevention laws. The bill was first introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by then-Rep. Charles Schumer in 1991. While the bill faced staunch opposition from the gun lobby and the National Rifle Association, the Bradys worked with a committed team of advocates who lobbied members of Congress relentlessly and convened a broad and diverse coalition that united every corner of American life, from law enforcement to medical professionals, civic leaders, civil rights organizations and educators.After multiple reintroductions, Rep. Schumer reintroduced the bill on February 23, 1993, with President Bill Clinton signing the final bill into law on November 30, 1993 and the law going into effect on February 28, 1994.The law established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which has served as the bedrock for all subsequent gun violence prevention laws. In the 27 years since, the Brady Background Check System, NICS, has prevented over 3.5 million prohibited gun transactions. In 2015 alone, over 619 prohibited gun transactions were prevented every single day.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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