Hillary Clinton speaks during the Brown & Black Forum on Monday, Jan. 11 in Des Moines, Iowa. | AP Photo Brady Campaign to endorse Hillary Clinton

Intensifying her gun control argument against Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton will accept the endorsement of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence at a campaign stop in Ames, Iowa on Tuesday, according to a campaign aide.

The endorsement — which comes just days after Clinton picked up the backing of leading gun control advocate Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman, and her husband Mark Kelly — is the latest move in an ongoing fight between the two leading Democratic candidates, as the front-runner Clinton makes the case that the Vermont senator is out of step with the party on gun issues.


“Hillary Clinton has been a national leader on gun violence prevention for decades. More than any candidate on either side of the aisle, she has the experience, record, and demonstrated commitment to help reach the Brady Campaign’s goal of cutting gun deaths in half by 2025,” Brady Campaign President Dan Gross, who is set to appear with Clinton on Tuesday, said in a statement.

"She was with us when we passed the Brady Bill in 1993, she took on the corporate gun lobby by fighting the truly evil Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, and now she’s made gun violence prevention a centerpiece of her campaign, supporting a policy that’s already saved lives in Iowa — expanded Brady background checks on gun sales," he said.

Clinton’s campaign has noted that Sanders voted against the Brady Bill five times in pointing to his record on gun control, and has criticized the insurgent candidate more recently for his 2005 vote to limit liability for gun manufacturers and dealers — legislation Gross called "truly evil."

At a forum in Des Moines on Monday night, Sanders refused to distance himself from that vote, saying, “It’s not a mistake. Like many issues of legislation, it’s complicated."

His campaign has gone on the offensive, insisting that there is — in the words of campaign manager Jeff Weaver — “zero daylight” between his position and President Barack Obama’s on the issue that’s important to Democratic primary voters.

But as Sanders keeps the contest tight in both Iowa and New Hampshire, the Clinton camp has sought to turn the gun control fight into a central point of contrast.

In addition to touting Giffords’ and Kelly’s backing on Sunday, Clinton's campaign on Monday promoted the endorsement of Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, who pointed to Clinton’s gun stance in backing the former secretary of state.

"The rising generation of our young people need a president who will stand up to inaction from Republicans and indifference from the National Rifle Association" she wrote in an op-ed posted on CNN.com. "I believe that person is Hillary Clinton."