Gabrielle Giffords Statement on Attending Tuesday Night’s State of the Union Address with Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)

January 11, 2016

January 11, 2016 – Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Co-Founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions, released the below statement in the lead-up to her attendance at Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, where she will sit with Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-05), whose district includes Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary School. Congresswoman Giffords’ statement:

“I am honored to join so many of my former colleagues and Congresswoman Esty at the State of the Union address. Congresswoman Esty is a true champion for common sense in the fight for making our communities safer from gun violence. “Both Congresswoman Esty and I know all too well the impact of gun tragedies on our communities and our constituents. We share a bond no elected representative ever wants to share. It is a club you never want to belong to. “But the truth is that gun tragedies befall every congressional district and every community in our nation. Gun violence knows no bounds. That’s why it’s so fitting and powerful that one seat in the First Lady’s State of the Union Guest Box will be left empty to honor the victims of gun violence. The Americans represented by that empty seat no longer have a voice. And we must be their voice.”