When the `` Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act '' went into effect 20 years ago this month , America took a historic stand against gun violence . It was the first federal law to require that licensed dealers refer every gun sale to law enforcement for a background check . The law honored my husband , Jim Brady , who had been shot in the head in 1981 by John Hinckley Jr , a mentally ill man who attempted to assassinate President Reagan . The shooting left Jim permanently impaired physically and cognitively . Since February 28 , 1994 , according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics , background checks have stopped more than 2 million gun purchases by `` prohibited purchasers '' like convicted felons , domestic abusers , the dangerously mentally ill and fugitives—people who we all agree should not have guns . It 's easy to imagine how many lives were saved and how many disabling injuries prevented thanks to Brady background checks . But a lot has changed over the past two decades , and people who would n't pass a background check have found other ways to procure guns easily through unlicensed sales at gun shows or on the Internet , where background checks are not required . Opinion : The man who made people talk about guns . The corporate gun lobby would like us to think these unlicensed sales are transactions between family members and hunting buddies , but the truth is that thousands of guns are sold legally each day without a background check , thereby potentially putting guns directly in the hands of criminals . In fact , websites like Armslist.com boast upward of 70,000 listings from private sellers , many touting `` No background check '' as a selling feature . As a result , an estimated 40 % of gun sales today occur without a Brady background check . Many of these sales have deadly consequences . Take Zina Daniel , a victim of domestic violence who procured a restraining order against her estranged husband , making him unable to pass a background check . He bought a semiautomatic handgun from a private seller online , where he did n't need a background check . He used that gun to kill Zina and two others and wound four more at a nail salon . Let 's think about background checks in another way . Imagine if Zina 's husband were on the no fly list and was one of 40 % of airline passengers the Transportation Security Administration allowed to fly without undergoing a security screening . Would Americans feel safe in the air in this scenario ? Not likely . Yet that is precisely the percentage of gun purchases made daily without a background check . Opinion : The warrior , the hero , the 'Bear ' So what 's the solution ? Congress needs to finish the job the Brady law so effectively started to ensure that guns are kept out of the hands of people who should not have them . Congress must pick up where it left off last April when , to Jim 's and my great disappointment , Senate legislation to expand Brady background checks fell short . The bill received a majority 54 votes , including the support of six `` A-rated '' National Rifle Association senators , two of whom were the lead sponsors . The American people support this legislation . In fact , 90 % of Americans support universal background checks covering all online sales and gun shows . Three out of four NRA members and 80 % of gun owners agree that the scope of background checks needs to be expanded . In 2013 , after the horrific tragedy of the school shooting in Newtown , Connecticut , eight states passed meaningful gun regulations . These laws could save lives and prevent injuries . Let 's keep moving forward . Let 's finish the job , expand Brady background checks and help keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people .
`` Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act '' went into effect 20 years ago . Sarah Brady : The law , which honors her husband , requires background checks . But a lot has changed , about 40 % of gun sales today have no Brady background check . Brady : Congress needs to finish the job the Brady law so effectively started in 1981 .