In March 1981, Jim was just two months into his dream role as White House Press Secretary when he was shot in the head as a gunman tried to assassinate President Reagan. He spent the rest of his life recovering — and fighting to strengthen our nation’s gun laws. He and and his wife, Sarah, spent years lobbying Congress on both sides of the aisle for the landmark Brady Bill, which ultimately passed Congress in 1993 with unanimous, bipartisan support.
Jim and Sarah’s legacy — which we at Brady continue today — is that they refused to believe that preventing gun violence is a “partisan” issue. They were gun owners and longtime Republicans. They understood that passing sensible gun laws isn't about politics; it’s about saving lives.
Our namesake Brady Bill was the last major gun violence prevention law — until now. Like the Brady Background Check System has done for nearly 30 years now, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will save countless lives.
This I believe: We can truly save lives if we remember Jim and Sarah Brady's legacy to find the common ground in common-sense solutions. Jim and Sarah knew that if we want to have the best solutions, they need to come from all sides. But they also knew that we don’t have to take no for an answer. That we can — and should — name names, make noise, and make those in power uncomfortable. That we must fight for our lives.
The Brady Bill took six votes over seven years and three presidencies to become law. But even despite suffering major health setbacks, Jim never gave up in the fight for a safer future for all Americans. He knew it was possible. It’s that persistence and steadfast determination that helps me believe in what we can achieve as a country — even as the heavy cloud of the reckless Supreme Court ruling hangs over us.
So, please, John, as President Biden prepares to sign the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and end a 30-year hiatus on legislative action to prevent violence, I hope you will take a moment to celebrate all that we have accomplished together. If you’d like to sustain this incredible momentum, especially in the face of the deadly Supreme Court decision, please make a donation to Brady today. Together, we are saving lives and creating a safer America for us all It’s in our hands.
