named after james brady president reagan's press secretary who was shot and paralyzed during the handgun assassination attempt on president reagan it took twelve years for legislation to finally be passed in congress when a democrat bill clinton took over the presidency. what does that brady gun control act do all the brady bill does is let's make sure that at this moment right now we're not selling a gun to someone who's got a criminal history that's the thrust of the brady bill the instant background check system. a year later clinton passed the federal assault weapons ban which did criminalize possession of almost an entire class of firearms. the assault weapons ban expired a little fanfare in two thousand and four and democrats have not spoken about renewing it since returning to power. how did the n.r.a. defeat so-called assault weapons ban. finger pin burning waiting periods gun registration gun owner licensing and two generations worth of a and i gun schemes and i gun schemers the n.r.a. is able to prevent publicly supported gun control legislation from passing because their membe