Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor Thursday on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that cut short her promising political career and shocked a nation that has only seen political violence worsen in the years since.
Giffords held hands with her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lauded her congressional service and her advocacy for tougher gun control measures. She received a standing ovation from a few dozen lawmakers in the chamber, most of them fellow Democrats.
“House Democrats stand with Gabby and with all Americans who say ‘enough is enough,’” said Jeffries, who pledged that Democrats would prioritize gun control legislation if they win the House majority in November's midterm elections.
Giffords was shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011, while meeting with constituents at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Six were killed and 12 injured, in addition to Giffords, who was left with limited motion on one side and aphasia, a verbal disability.
No coherent motive has been established for the shooter, Jared Loughner, who had schizophrenia and shared a variety of disjointed, nonsensical conspiracies in his online posts. He was sentenced to life in prison after being forcibly medicated to make him competent to stand trial.
The targeting of a political event foreshadowed the rising tide of violence that has shadowed American democracy. There was the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, two attempts on Donald Trump's life, and the killing last June of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.
More recently, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while talking to college students.
Giffords left Congress after the shooting to focus on her recovery, cutting short a political career that many in Arizona believe would have included a run for governor or U.S. Senate.
She went on to create, along with Kelly, a political group—now known as GIFFORDS—that lobbies for tougher gun laws and works to elect state and federal lawmakers who will support them.
Over the past decade, the organization says it has helped pass more than 600 pieces of legislation in states across the country.
One of those laws is the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major federal gun reform law in about three decades. The 2022 law does a number of things, including stepping up background checks for buyers under the age of 21, closes what some have called "The Boyfriend Loophole," and expands funding for mental health services.
But not everyone sees it as progress. After it passed, the National Rifle Association posted on its website that the law, "does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners."
Giffords and Kelly insist they're not trying to take guns away, instead, pushing for responsible gun ownership.
"We are gun owners," says Sen. Kelly. "We support the Second Amendment. This is not about responsible gun ownership. This is about keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, felons."
"Fight, fight, fight, every day," added Giffords.
