Mass shootings are often quickly politicized as lawmakers and members of the public alike grapple with how to address senseless gun violence. But organizations on both sides of the issue have been working in Washington for decades, contributing to political gridlock that was eventually broken in June 2022 with passage of the bipartisan gun safety bill. Three years later, that law remains the most recently enacted gun safety legislation. The most significant change since then was the elimination of a $200 tax on gun silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, a provision included in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” 

While there has not been a lot of legislative activity, the balance between gun rights and public safety has been a political hot potato for years. Prominent gun rights organizations consistently spend millions more on lobbying than their gun control counterparts, according to OpenSecrets data, contributing to decades-long stalemate.

The last major piece of gun control legislation to make it into law prior to the bipartisan gun bill passed in June was the assault weapons ban, passed in 1994 as part of a larger crime-related bill approved by Congress and signed by then-President Bill Clinton. But the ban, which applied to the manufacture of 19 specific models of semi-automatic firearms and other guns with similar features, expired in 2004, and repeated attempts to renew it failed.

Eighty-one percent of Americans told Pew Research Center in 2021 that they support expanding background checks to include private firearm sales and purchases at gun shows, including a majority of Republican respondents. Preventing individuals with mental illnesses from purchasing guns is also supported by the vast majority of people on both sides of the political spectrum.

Some Democrats thought their support for the assault weapons ban cost them control of Congress in the 1994 midterm elections. Whether or not that's true, there's little question that the politics of gun ownership have swung to the right. Republicans largely oppose gun control, and Democrats are split, with some lawmakers cautious about going against the views of more conservative constituencies, especially in rural districts.

While gun control interests, by comparison, have generally been a blip on the radar screen, they've emerged as a greater political force in recent cycles.

Those interests gave $81.3 million to federal candidates, parties and outside spending groups from 1989 through 2024, with nearly all of that going to Democrats.

Despite being dwarfed by gun rights lobbying and campaign contributions, gun control groups have increased outside spending since the 2018 election cycle. Gun control advocates poured $18.3 million into outside spending in 2024 compared to just $14,000 in 2016.

The National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) is where organizations, leaders, and changemakers come together to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and build the relationships necessary to strengthen civic life. This year’s theme, Building Civic Resilience, focuses on how communities can navigate transformation and sustain engagement. OpenSecrets is a partner and will be in attendance!

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Want to know who’s funding the candidates and causes shaping our democracy? With OpenSecrets.org’s Donor Lookup, you can quickly and easily:

Whether you’re a concerned voter, journalist, researcher, or just a curious citizen, Donor Lookup puts transparency at your fingertips.

Netflix co-founder drops $2 million into Gavin Newsom's redistricting campaign (Politico)

Teachers’ unions dump more than $43.5M into liberal advocacy, Dem PACs (New York Post)

Pharmaceutical Industry on Pace for Record Lobbying Spending (Sludge)

SF may raise $500 campaign donor limit to counter wealthy PACs (The San Francisco Standard)

Meet the Silicon Valley Donors Backing California’s Redistricting Push (Gizmodo)

According to Axios, in the first quarter of 2025, Meta spent $8 million lobbying, followed by Amazon at $4.3 million, with Microsoft at $2.4 million. OpenSecrets reports Amazon’s total federal lobbying for 2025 (first half) at $9.35 million, and Alphabet (Google’s parent) at around $7.81 million.

'Web of dark money' tied to Obama, Dems fuels green opposition to crucial Trump energy plan (Fox News)

During the 2020 election, Friends of the Earth Action endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for the Democratic presidential nomination. In 2024, the group endorsed Harris for president. Since 2015, Friends of the Earth Action PAC has donated thousands to Democratic or progressive candidates and causes, according to data gathered by OpenSecrets. 

Report: Illinois U.S. Rep faces minimal penalty after disclosure violations (The Center Square)

Investigative journalist and OpenSecrets contributor Dave Levinthal said the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act requires members of Congress to disclose trades within 45 days. “Congressman Jackson failed to do that across more than 30 different stock trades,” Levinthal told The Center Square.

US Puts GDP Data on the Blockchain in Trump Crypto Push (Bloomberg)

The industry donated heavily to Trump’s reelection campaign and backed many crypto-friendly politicians in Congress. The industry, including Coinbase, invested more than $133 million in three super political action committees backing crypto-friendly candidates in the 2024 election, according to data analyzed by OpenSecrets.

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