For nearly two years, Cogent Strategies’ team of Republicans began working with a leading gun violence prevention organization to secure and enhance Republican relationships in Congress. Our team initiated a listening tour on Capitol Hill to ascertain where Republicans could find policy agreement on topics including the second amendment, school safety and mental health initiatives, and reshaped the organization’s message to appeal to conservative views on these issues.

Cogent’s efforts revealed a willingness among Republicans to work across the aisle to address the gun violence epidemic. We then worked hand-in-glove to generate and sustain momentum toward the first real bipartisan congressional action on gun safety and mental health legislation in three decades. We managed to navigate Republican political and policy challenges to help ensure the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed Congress with the support of 15 Republican Senators and 14 Republican House members before being signed into law by President Biden.