Probably one of the main reasons the Brady Bill and/or Assault Weapons Ban was passed.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/longtime-se-texas-us-rep-jack-brooks-dead-17881511#.UL9wWGc5_7Z


"Jack Bascom Brooks was born Dec. 18, 1922, in Crowley, La., and moved to Texas at age 5. While in public schools, he worked as a carhop, grocery clerk, magazine salesman and a reporter for the Beaumont Enterprise. He attended Lamar University in Beaumont, then a two-year school, and earned a degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He served with the Marines in the Pacific in World War II and retired as a colonel from the Marine Corps Reserves in 1972. He received a law degree from the University of Texas and was a two-term Texas state legislator when he was elected to the U.S. House at age 29.

He supported civil rights bills, refused to sign the segregationist "Southern manifesto" in 1956, helped write the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 that banned racial segregation.

His congressional longevity — figures showed there were 13,858 roll call votes during his tenure — was an issue for him and other long-serving Democrats who were swept from office in 1994. Brooks also had alienated gun owners for supporting a ban on assault weapons and abortion opponents for his support of abortion rights."

I remember, as a teenager, going to old Stuart Stadium in Beaumont, Tx, home of the Beaumont Exporters in the Texas League, with my Dad and younger brother, when Brooks was running for Congress and my Dad introducing me to him. Brooks had an old threadbare suit on ( this is summer in SE Texas ) and a pair of scruffy looking old shoes that needed shining ) and appeared just to be a poor yokel like everyone else. He was rumored to have become a multimillionaire while in Congress. It was accepted that people that wanted bank charters had to grease Old Jack's palm. True or not, who knows, but CongressCritters at that time were not overly compensated from the federal treasury.

It was tried for many years to vote him from office, but he always managed to drum up support. The closest was when he ran against a little blonde gal that had been a helicopter pilot in the Army. Conveniently, there was dirt dug up on her, and she lost.

In the '94 campaign, Tanya Metaska, then President of the NRA-ILA arm of the NRA, came to Jefferson County to plead for Brooks to be retained in his job. Didn't matter, the gun owners bounced his ass. On election night, as the results showed the PUBS ruling the roost, Brooks and Carl Parker, dean of the Texas Senate, were very unhappy and sour graped Pols. Boo Hoo.

RIP, Jack, I believe you're gonna need it.