At an event in Ames Tuesday, Hillary Clinton picked up the endorsement of the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence. The rally at Iowa State University kicked off with a somber tone as leaders of the Brady Campaign recounted stories of loved ones lost to gun violence. Clinton says their support is motivating her to keep gun-sales reform at the center of the campaign.
“Anybody who cares about real reform in our political system, who cares about making a difference that will literally, in this case, save lives,” Clinton says, “has to stand with us, against the gun lobby.”
Clinton’s closest competitor, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, voted against the Brady Bill in 1993. It imposed background checks and waiting periods before gun purchases. Sanders says he was keeping a promise to voters in Vermont, where the legislation did not have widespread support.
In addition to trying to highlight differences between herself and Sanders, Clinton repeated the general tenants of her campaign: advocating for investment in infrastructure, renewable energy and social issues including healthcare, women’s and workers’ rights and education. And she promoted herself as the candidate with the most varied and long-standing experience of working on both national and international policy matters.
“There’s a big agenda. It’s not one thing the next president has to do,” Clinton says. “You have to operate on so many different levels in so many different arenas simultaneously. I’m prepared to do all parts of the job.”
The next stop takes the Clinton campaign to Dubuque later in the day.
