Thread by @PeterMAmbler

In one month since the Uvalde shooting, the Senate achieved on gun safety what so few expected they could get done on anything — it came together on a bipartisan basis to address a pressing national issue in a meaningful way. 1/

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1540160301202640898

A decade ago, in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, we lobbied, cajoled and begged for months and months to pass a similarly narrow bill, but ended up with only 4 Republican votes and Ted Cruz-led filibuster. We were told the NRA was too powerful and the politics too difficult. 2/

This time was different. In weeks after Uvalde, we had 10 Republicans on a bipartisan framework agreement, and after a month we had legislation poised to be signed into law. The NRA and NSSF opposed the bill. It didn’t matter — 15 Senate Republicans voted for the bill. 3/

Why was this time different? Short answer: We all did. We built a movement with the inspiring leadership of Gabby, the dedicated staff of Giffords, the commitment of our 3 million supporters, dozens of effective orgs united and working together, 466 bills passed in states… 4/

With thousands of pages of policy and legislation written, thousands of candidates supported and elected, hundreds of thousands of calls to Congress, millions of dollars spent taking on and taking down the NRA, tens of millions of voters who voted for gun safety candidates… 5/

With 100,000 gun owners we organized as part of #GunOwnersForSafety, with the courage and tenacity of survivors of gun violence, with doctors and nurses and healthcare systems, with CEOs and their companies and their employees and with so much more. 6/

The gun safety movement got a big win thanks to @ChrisMurphyCT and his bipartisan core four & group of 20. But this movement is just getting started. A decade feels like a long time (I’ve got the gray hair), but it’s a blip of time in the context of a growing social movement. 7/

Americans have every reason to be optimistic about passing laws, policies and funding that will dramatically reduce gun violence over time. 45,000 Americans die from guns every year. It doesn’t have to be like that. This time was different — and it’s only the beginning. 8/8