gun control advocates
About the Gun Control Lobby
The gun control lobby is the set of advocacy organizations that push for tighter firearm laws such as expanded background checks, bans on certain rifles and magazines, permit requirements and red flag laws. The oldest major group is Brady, founded in 1974 by Mark Borinsky as the National Council to Control Handguns. It became Handgun Control, Inc. in 1980, was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in 2001 in honor of James and Sarah Brady, and rebranded as Brady in 2019. It was the chief supporter of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, which required background checks on handgun purchases from licensed dealers.
The most prominent group today is Everytown for Gun Safety, based in New York City and backed chiefly by Michael Bloomberg. It was formed in 2014 by merging Mayors Against Illegal Guns, launched by Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino in April 2006, with Moms Demand Action, founded by Shannon Watts on December 15, 2012. Other national groups include Giffords and Sandy Hook Promise. According to OpenSecrets data, gun control groups reported nearly $2.3 million in federal lobbying in 2023, compared with about $13.2 million by gun rights groups.
Key Facts
- 1974: National Council to Control Handguns founded (today Brady)
- 1980: Renamed Handgun Control, Inc.
- 1993: Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act enacted
- April 2006: Mayors Against Illegal Guns launched
- December 15, 2012: Moms Demand Action founded
- 2014: Everytown for Gun Safety formed by merger
Learn More
Sources
- Wikipedia: Brady Campaign
- Wikipedia: Everytown for Gun Safety
- University of Chicago Harris: The NRA and Gun Lobbyists
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