It ignores the way the gun lobby has been weakened by mismanagement and legal trouble, and the fact that Congress finally did pass legislation to address gun violence in 2022 — the first time it has taken major action to address guns in nearly 30 years. As of 2021, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, 21 states and Washington, DC, passed legislation requiring background checks for all prospective handgun sales; 19 states and DC passed “extreme risk” laws that allow judges to order someone’s guns confiscated if they appear to be a serious risk to themselves or others; and nearly 30 states passed laws aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.