Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: “Congress Must Find the Courage to Act”
Washington DC — This morning, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords issued a clear call for Congress to find the courage to act and pass gun safety legislation. Her statement comes hours after police footage was finally released of 13-year-old Adam Toledo’s death that showed an officer shooting Adam when his hands were raised and a massacre at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis that left eight people dead. The House of Representatives has recently passed a number of gun violence prevention bills, including H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and last week, President Biden announced a number of executive actions to address the crisis.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:
“Earlier this week it was Daunte Wright. Then America had to reckon with the horrifying images of 13-year-old Adam Toledo—a child—being shot and killed by the police. Now, we wake up to a scene of flashing emergency lights at a FedEx warehouse and images of frightened family members desperately trying to find out if their loved ones are among the victims.
“We live in a country where gun violence is unacceptably common but nonetheless accepted by too many politicians. It’s the responsibility of our leaders to protect us, yet they have not passed commonsense gun safety laws that we know save lives. Congress must find the courage to act.
“I am angry, but more determined than ever. I am frustrated, but fueled by the hope that today marks a moment when we stop wondering if we’ll ever pass lifesaving legislation and instead get it done.”
Just days ago, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords called on Congress to take action on gun violence at the official unveiling of the Gun Violence Memorial, which was created by her organization, Giffords, to memorialize the 40,000 American lives lost to gun violence each year.Joining former Congresswoman Giffords were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn, Senator Chris Murphy, Rep. Lucy McBath, and Rep. Mike Thompson.
The White House has recently taken critical steps to make gun safety a priority: at a Rose Garden ceremony attended by former Congresswoman Giffords last week, President Biden announced a series of executive actions to curb gun violence. This announcement followed the president’s inclusion of a $5 billion investment into community violence prevention and intervention programs in his infrastructure plan.
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