White House press secretary for President
Ronald Reagan who was shot in the head during
John Hinckley Jr.'s unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Reagan in March 1981. The bullet severely damaged the right side of Brady's brain, leaving his left arm and leg paralyzed, impairing his short-term memory, and slightly slurring his speech. As a result, he challenged the powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, by lobbying Congress to enact the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (popularly known as "the Brady Bill"), to demand a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases so that local police can conduct background checks on purchasers. The bill was passed by both houses of Congress in mid-1991.