Giffords Endorses House Champions to Ensure Gun Safety Remains a Congressional Priority

April 24, 2020

The 116th House made historic progress on gun safety and these 11 champions will keep fighting

Washington, DC — Today, Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, backed 11 incumbents in their bids to remain in the US House of Representatives. These 11 gun safety champions were part of the majority that passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, the first significant gun reform bill to get congressional approval in decades. Their reelections are critical to expanding the gun safety majority in 2020.

Statement from former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:

“Advancing gun safety laws that save lives is possible with bold, courageous leadership in Congress. These current members have shown that they will fight for an America free from the dangers of gun violence. Their willingness to stand up for what’s right led to the passage of universal background checks—upholding the promises made to voters across the country.

“These gun safety champions have gotten things done and will do so again. The NRA’s money and influence can’t intimidate them. That’s why Giffords is proud to endorse these men and women to carry on the fight for a future where all communities and families are safer.”

The 116th Congress took monumental steps to advance lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation including H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, one of the first pieces of legislation introduced in 2019, which passed through the full House just weeks after it was introduced. Congress similarly appropriated $25 million in gun violence research funding, and the House held more than a dozen hearings with gun violence as the main focus.

The current coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a number of gaps in our federal gun laws that will require federal action in the near future. Issues such as safe storage, loopholes that leave domestic violence survivors vulnerable to abuse, and a strain on our federal background checks system have all been magnified during the coronavirus outbreak. Keeping a gun safety majority in the House will ensure that Congress actually addresses these dangerous gaps.

Today’s Giffords Endorsements include:

Salud Carbajal (CA-24): Congressman Salud Carbajal was elected to represent California’s 24th District in 2016. Born in Mexico, Carbajal immigrated to America at a young age and spent his childhood summers as a farmworker in California. He went on to serve eight years in the Marine Corps Reserves and was elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors three times. Gun violence is personal to Carbajal: his older sister died by gun suicide when he was a child. Her tragic death motivates his work on gun safety in Congress, where he has introduced bipartisan legislation to incentivize states to pass extreme risk protection orders. Nineteen states now have extreme risk laws, which have been proven effective in reducing suicides and preventing mass shootings. California passed its law in the wake of a 2014 shooting that killed six and injured 14 in Isla Vista, which is located in the 24th District. Carbajal honors the memories of those victims and of his sister by advocating for commonsense gun safety measures in Congress.
Joe Cunningham (SC-01): Prior to his election, Joe Cunningham worked as an ocean engineer and a construction attorney, a career which gave him experience in effectively using resources to develop communities. In office, Congressman Cunningham continues to advocate on behalf of the communities he represents, ensuring that federal resources are being used to protect his constituents and all Americans from preventable threats. Gun violence prevention is a critical issue in South Carolina’s First Congressional District, which is located near the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, the site of the 2015 shooting which killed nine African-American worshippers. Along with Congressman Jim Clyburn, Cunningham was an original co-sponsor of bipartisan legislation designed to address the loophole that allowed that shooter to obtain his gun. That bill passed the House in February 2019, though it has since stalled in the Senate. As a gun owner and a father, Cunningham understands the importance of responsible gun ownership and commonsense legislation that keeps people safe.
Rosa DeLauro (CT-03): Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has tirelessly served the people of Connecticut’s Third District for almost 30 years. A native of New Haven, DeLauro got involved in politics at a young age, serving as executive director of EMILY’s List and chief of staff to US Senator Chris Dodd before being elected to Congress. DeLauro uses her influential position as Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to advance gun safety priorities. In 2019, she played a critical role in securing $25 million in federal funding for gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health. The first time in more than two decades that the gun lobby blockade on lifesaving research failed, this victory marked a major breakthrough in a years-long campaign of medical professionals and gun safety advocates. DeLauro is determined to make sure that this critical funding is sustained so that we can better understand the public health crisis of gun violence.
Val Demings (FL-10): Congresswoman Val Demings is serving her second term as representative of Florida’s 10th District after retiring from a distinguished and trailblazing career in local law enforcement. Demings is a lifelong Florida resident who worked her way up from humble beginnings to become the first person in her family to graduate from college and eventually, the first female chief of the Orlando Police Department. In her time as chief, Demings focused on building relationships with community leaders and the public, leading to a 40% reduction in violent crime. Demings has used her time in Washington to advocate for solutions that will keep American communities safe from gun violence. Her experience as a police officer gives her valuable insight into the perspective of law enforcement and gun owners, and her position on the House Judiciary Committee places her at the center of the debate over gun safety legislation. Demings has introduced legislation to keep armor-piercing handguns out of the hands of criminals by regulating them under the National Firearms Act. Rep. Demings has prioritized gun safety legislation because of her genuine commitment to protecting her constituents and the country, and will continue to do so if reelected.
Ted Deutch (FL-22): Congressman Ted Deutch represents Parkland, Florida, and has long been one of the foremost champions of gun violence prevention in Congress. Deutch was first elected in 2010 after serving for four years in the Florida State Senate. He is a leader able to bridge gaps across the aisle, well known for his tireless and empathetic advocacy on behalf of his South Florida constituents. The tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on February 14, 2018, spurred an outpouring of young people calling for stronger gun laws. Deutch has served as an ally to those young leaders since the first days of their movement, using his influential post on the House Judiciary Committee to demand action on gun safety. He has introduced critical pieces of legislation to ban the sale of large-capacity magazines and regulate assault rifles like machine guns under the National Firearms Act. Deutch is an unwavering gun safety advocate, and his district can count on him to continue pushing tirelessly for lifesaving gun laws.
Debbie Dingell (MI-12): Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is a tireless advocate for working families and children. A lifelong Michigander, Dingell is the founder of the National Women’s Health Resource Center. She was elected to Congress in 2014 after the retirement of her husband, John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in American history. Dingell has made addressing the connection between domestic violence and guns a cornerstone of her time in the House. The issue is highly personal for Dingell–as a child, she lived in constant fear because her abusive father often threatened their family with a gun. Dingell has worked to make keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers a bipartisan priority. She was part of a bipartisan effort to introduce legislation to close the boyfriend and stalker loopholes. The provisions in that bill were approved in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which passed the House with broad bipartisan support. While these proposals haven’t yet made it into law, Dingell will never stop fighting for them and other commonsense proposals to save lives from gun violence.
Jahana Hayes (CT-05): When Congresswoman Jahana Hayes was elected in 2018, she became the first African-American woman to represent the state of Connecticut in Congress. Hayes experienced poverty and gun violence growing up in Waterbury, Connecticut, before going on to earn two advanced degrees and become an educator. In 2016, Hayes received the National Teacher of the Year Award from President Obama. She now represents a district that includes Newtown, where 20 children and six staff members were shot and killed in 2012. As an educator and a representative of a district familiar with the pain of school shootings, Hayes is committed to keeping guns out of our schools. She introduced a resolution to prevent federal funds from being used to arm teachers, and has used her post on the House Committee on Education and Labor to hold Education Secretary Betsy DeVos accountable for her push to bring guns into classrooms. Hayes also serves as Deputy Whip of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, where she advocates for lifesaving policies such as universal background checks and safe storage requirements.
Steven Horsford (NV-04): Congressman Steven Horsford proudly represents Nevada’s Fourth District. A lifelong Nevadan, Horsford served in the state senate for eight years, where he was the first African-American majority leader. He defeated an NRA-backed opponent in 2018 to reclaim the seat he held in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. Horsford knows firsthand the impact that gun violence can have on a family, having tragically lost his father to gun violence at age 19. In Congress, he has introduced critical legislation to invest in evidence-based programs designed to break cycles of violence in cities across the country. Horsford has also voted for bipartisan bills to require a background check for all gun sales and keep firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers and stalkers. Nevadans can count on Horsford to work to keep their communities safe from gun violence.
Robin Kelly (IL-02): Congresswoman Robin Kelly has dedicated her career to improving the lives of Illinois families. She served in the Illinois House of Representatives and as chief of staff to the state treasurer before being elected in 2013 to represent Illinois’s Second District, which stretches from the South Side of Chicago into the city’s southern suburbs. Saving lives from gun violence is one of Kelly’s top priorities. Kelly is particularly focused on stemming the flow of out-of-state firearms into Illinois, which is why she introduced the Prevent Gun Trafficking Act, which would create a federal firearms trafficking statute and discourage straw purchases of firearms. Illinois voters can be sure that if reelected, Kelly will continue to push for policies that will keep their communities safe from gun violence.
Jim Langevin (RI-02): Congressman Jim Langevin has a lifelong record of service to the Ocean State. Prior to his election to Congress, Langevin served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, as well as serving two terms as Rhode Island’s secretary of state. Langevin was paralyzed in an accidental shooting when he was 16 years old and has been in a wheelchair ever since, an experience which led him to become a stalwart advocate for gun safety policies. Upon Langevin’s election to the US House of Representatives in 2000, he became the first quadriplegic member of Congress. In Congress, he has led on the issue of gun dealer security and been an unwavering vote for strong gun violence prevention measures. His continued support of gun safety has been crucial to the House of Representatives finally taking action to save lives.
Norma Torres (CA-35): Congresswoman Norma Torres began her career as a 911 dispatcher with the Los Angeles Police Department, fielding countless calls dealing with gun violence during her 17 years in that role. Torres continued to work as a dispatcher while also serving Pomona as a city councilor and eventually, as mayor. She has represented California’s 35th District in Congress since 2015. Torres is a leader on keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people. A native of Guatemala, she has spearheaded the charge to fight the Trump administration’s reckless push to roll back the oversight of firearms exports, successfully passing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act through the House in 2019. Torres has also introduced legislation requiring gun stores to report sales of multiple long guns. These reports, which dealers are already required to make for multiple handgun sales, are a critical tool for law enforcement to combat gun trafficking. Torres has a demonstrated record of advancing lifesaving gun violence prevention measures and will never stop fighting to keep California communities safe from gun violence.

About Recent Giffords 2020 Political Efforts:

These candidates approach gun safety legislation with the seriousness and urgency needed to solve our country’s gun violence epidemic. Re-electing them to the House of Representatives will mean keeping the gun safety majority that has continued to prioritize gun safety. Colleagues in the Senate, on the other hand, continue to oppose all gun safety. That’s why Giffords invested nearly $750,000 in ads calling out Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) for failing to support H.R. 8 last year.

Giffords is also leading the effort to make this the year the country elects a #GunSafetyPresident. Congresswoman Giffords, recently announced her endorsement and the endorsement of Giffords PAC of Joe Biden for president of the United States of America. Vice President Biden has fought for stronger gun safety laws throughout his career and has promised it will be a top priority for his administration.

Congresswoman Giffords and Vice President Biden have a long history of working together to advance commonsense gun safety laws, especially in the wake of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Biden was there to welcome Congresswoman Giffords back to the Capitol months after she was shot and then again at President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.