Major National Gun Safety Organizations Endorse Ed Markey for United States Senate

Four major gun safety organizations — the Brady PAC, Giffords PAC, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Moms Demand Action — endorsed Ed Markey for re-election to the United States Senate this week, citing his career-long fight for commonsense federal gun safety reforms and gun violence prevention.

“I am honored to have the support of these incredible advocacy organizations that are fighting for a safer and healthier world. In the face of a NRA-controlled Republican Party, these groups have led the charge to end the scourge of gun violence in our communities. Too many times we have witnessed senseless tragedies due to gun violence — in our schools, in our houses of worship, in every community. These leaders know that enough is enough, and I am proud to partner with them to put commonsense gun laws on the books,” Senator Ed Markey said.

The Brady PAC was originally created in the lead up to the 2018 midterm elections to oppose the “dark money” Super PACs created by the gun industry lobby. It upholds the policy ideals that have been championed by its sister organization, Brady Campaign — one of the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention grassroots advocacy organizations — and backs candidates running for state and federal office who support universal background checks, reenacting the assault weapons ban, and enacting other common-sense gun violence prevention laws that will make our homes, schools, and communities safer.

“Sen. Ed Markey has been a gun violence prevention champion throughout his time in Congress,” said Brady Campaign President Kris Brown. “From his instrumental support for the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and Violence Against Women Act to his more recent calls for a ban on untraceable ‘ghost guns,’ Sen. Markey has continued to demonstrate his commitment to saving lives and protecting communities. In 2019, Sen. Markey successfully led the fight in the Senate to secure funding for research on the gun violence epidemic — the first such funding in a generation — passing it even in a divided Congress. This leadership and record of action is why Brady is proud to endorse Sen. Ed Markey for re-election to the U.S. Senate.”

The Giffords PAC, founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords after her own shooting incident and recovery, strives to mobilize voters and educate lawmakers in order to end gun violence. 

“In his very first Senate floor speech, Senator Markey called for gun safety legislation, a testament to his enduring commitment to the issue,” the Giffords PAC said. “Senator Markey sponsored legislation to ban the online posting of blueprints for 3D-printed guns and cosponsored measures to implement universal background checks, enact extreme risk protection laws, ban weapons of war, invest in violence intervention programs, and repeal immunity for firearm manufacturers. Senator Markey recognizes gun violence as a public health crisis and has repeatedly led his caucus in calling for funding for gun violence research. Senator Ed Markey will continue taking a firm stand to fight for comprehensive gun safety legislation that ensures the safety of all Americans.”

Everytown for Gun Safety is the nation’s largest gun violence prevention organization. It is the parent organization of Moms Demand Action and was founded by former U.S. presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg and former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement fighting for public safety measures to protect communities from gun violence, and is part of Everytown. 

“We are proud to support Senator Ed Markey for re-election to the United States Senate. Throughout his career, he has consistently stood up against special interests, worked to put an end to gun violence in our communities, and fought the NRA’s stranglehold over federal gun policy,” Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action said. “Last December, for the first time since 1996, Senator Markey was successful in securing millions of dollars to go toward gun violence research at the CDC and get to the heart of this public health crisis. We are grateful for his leadership and look forward to continuing our fight together for meaningful changes to our federal gun laws.”

Ed Markey is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our family, friends, and neighbors in Massachusetts. He is a fierce advocate for universal background checks, banning assault weapons, making gun trafficking a federal crime, prohibiting high capacity ammunition magazines, and closing the loopholes surrounding the creation of undetectable, plastic guns. Ed Markey is committed to fighting for comprehensive gun legislation in the United States Senate so that no child has to walk the halls of their school or their streets and fear for their life.

In December of 2019, Ed Markey secured $25 million in CDC funding to go toward gun violence research, the first time research has been allocated to the public health crisis since 1996. As a Congressman in 1994, Ed Markey identified a deadly loophole enabling cheap Chinese semi-automatic assault weapons to flood into the United States. He urged then-President Clinton to place an emergency moratorium on the importation of these military style assault weapons from China, including the SKS, MAK-90 and other similar weapons.

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