Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a co-founder of GIFFORDS, a nonprofit that promotes gun-safety laws, survived being shot in the head in a 2011 assassination attempt in Tucson, but has spent years recovering. She spoke with Colorado Politics about her work on Aug. 6, before joining U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for a town hall organized by the Colorado Democratic Party in Thornton.

Our interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Colorado Politics: Can you talk about the success that GIFFORDS has had over the years?

Gabriele Giffords: Twelve years ago, we launched our effort to fight gun violence because we were sick of the silence. I was shot in 2011 – my husband (U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.) and I founded GIFFORDS after meeting with the families of the devastating shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.

We worked so hard, but the gun lobby had such a big head start—while a majority of the Senate supported background checks, we couldn’t get past the filibuster. We knew we had to activate the silent majority of gun owners and change the politics of gun crime. Now, 12 years later, we’ve seen remarkable, life-saving progress. We’re proud to be part of a growing movement filled with survivors, advocates, lawmakers, doctors, and more, all with a common goal: End gun violence and save lives.

That’s why, in 2022, GIFFORDS successfully worked with a bipartisan group of leaders in Congress to pass the first federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years: the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This law was a breakthrough in an otherwise difficult political environment, and it took significant steps like expanding background checks, closing the dating partner loophole, funding of community violence intervention programs, and so much more.

Our team at GIFFORDS has also been working on the ground in states to elect gun safety champions, pass commonsense gun violence prevention laws, and support community-based public safety approaches. In fact, we have helped pass over 700 new gun laws in almost every state and Washington D.C. Colorado has been a big part of that.

Violent crime is falling across the country. We’ve made gun violence a kitchen table issue. Now, candidates make gun safety a core part of their platforms. That’s all real progress.

CP: With the current administration, what are the biggest obstacles that GIFFORDS faces in reaching its goals?

Giffords: One of our biggest obstacles is the sheer volume of damage being done by this administration, and how fast it’s happening. In just seven months, Donald Trump has made it painfully clear that he only cares about increasing profits for his gun industry campaign donors, not preventing gun crime or protecting public safety.

He started by shuttering the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Since then, in his haphazard rush to cut spending, he’s gutted funding for law enforcement, school mental health programs, and fired violence prevention workers. He’s also given guns back to domestic abusers who happen to be friends of his, and even effectively legalized machine guns.

These are enormous problems, which is why we’re meeting each of them head-on—my great team at GIFFORDS is fighting nonstop. We’ve been laser-focused on holding the gun industry accountable and calling them out on their slew of unethical strategies for influencing our elected officials. And when the midterms roll around next year, we’re supporting a wide range of compelling candidates who are ready to change Washington and fight crime once they make it to Congress.”

CP: Can you talk about states like Colorado and what you think of the work this legislature has done regarding gun legislation?

Giffords: I’m happy to say that Colorado made massive strides in gun safety over the past few years and has emerged as a national leader. For instance, Colorado recently became the second state to adopt an approach developed by GIFFORDS and the Brennan Center for Justice addressing armed intimidation at the polls, which will allow citizens to exercise their right to vote freely and fairly.

This session, Colorado moved to protect domestic violence survivors, tackle gaps in gun safety and access, set new standards for gun industry accountability, and the list goes on. Colorado has maintained steady progress in reducing gun violence, and I’m thankful for leaders in the state who have been strong partners in this fight.

What comes next is implementation. That means making sure that the public knows about these new laws, and that law enforcement is able to fully utilize them as they protect communities.”

CP: Some argue that mental health is an even bigger issue than gun legislation – can you speak to that a bit?

Giffords: Working to end the gun violence and mental health crises in our country go hand-in-hand. The gun lobby often jumps right to blaming mental health following mass shootings, when the truth is that people with mental health challenges are more likely to be the victims of gun violence than perpetrators. Yet last month, President Trump’s budget law contained the largest cut to Medicaid in history, likely resulting in almost 12 million people becoming uninsured by 2034. Medicaid is the biggest payer of mental health services in the country. On top of that, the Trump administration froze a billion dollars of school-based mental health funding that Democrats and Republicans passed through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. So – the concern about mental health doesn’t really add up. And ultimately, while mental illness is not the cause of gun violence, it can be a contributing factor if weak laws facilitate easy access to a gun when someone is in crisis.

The reality is that our leaders should work to pass commonsense gun laws and fund mental health programs at the same time. Laws like extreme risk protection orders and background checks work, and they often include provisions for people in need of care. Fortunately, Colorado has recently dedicated funding to some life-saving preventative services. But even so, community violence intervention programs that support those in a mental health crisis still need sustained funding.

CP: What is the ultimate goal at the federal level? Can you talk about where we are and where you would like to see us go?

Giffords: Our ultimate goal is simple: to save as many lives as possible from gun violence. This country is in the grip of a gun violence epidemic, and nearly every American will know a victim of gun violence in their lifetime. This is not normal, and it doesn’t have to be this way.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American kids. Each year, 46,000 Americans are killed by guns — and every one of those is a preventable tragedy. Gun violence is a complex problem, but it’s not one without solutions. We know for a fact when states close loopholes in their gun laws, fewer people die.

So when you ask where I would like to see our country go, it’s toward a future where our kids and grandkids live free from the fear of being shot. It’s toward funding and support for community violence intervention across the board, so homegrown peacemakers can stop gun violence before it ever happens. It’s toward a restored White House Office for Gun Violence Prevention, a universal background checks bill, universal red flag laws, and a presidential administration that actually cares about saving lives.”

CP: How does GIFFORDS balance pushing stricter gun laws while still respecting the Constitution?

Giffords: I myself am a proud gun owner! The vast majority of gun owners and more broadly, Americans — Democrats, Republicans, and those in between — believe in commonsense gun laws. In fact, we support a group of passionate advocates called the GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety, which actually originated here in Colorado. The group is made up for everyday gun owners who know that safety and guns go hand in hand.

The corporate gun lobby just wants to maximize profits, so they oppose any law that stops criminals from buying guns. They push the extremist idea that commonsense gun laws violate the Second Amendment when most gun owners agree: they don’t. Commonsense gun laws fit in line with the Constitution. For more than 25 years, the courts have found that a wide range of gun safety laws are entirely constitutional. Being pro-safety doesn’t mean you are anti-gun.

CP: How do you feel waking up or going to sleep at night, hearing of another mass shooting, or posting about the anniversary of a tragedy that took place?

Giffords: It breaks my heart to think about other people going through what I did. And honestly, it also makes me mad. We have all the tools we need to prevent the next massacre right in front of us. Those policies already have the support of the vast majority of voters in this country. The issue is corruption: self-serving lawmakers who care more about protecting their gun lobby campaign donors than stopping gun crime.

But we don’t have to accept this as our reality. We know what works. We have the tools. What we need now is the courage to use them. Our lives, our communities, and our children’s futures are worth the fight, that’s why I do this every day.”

CP: Is there anything else you would like to point out on this topic and your work?

Giffords: I’ll just say this: the fight to end gun violence isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. And it’s winnable. Every single step we take, every law we pass, every survivor we uplift, every conversation we have, gets us closer to a safer future.

This work takes courage. Courage to speak up. Courage to organize. And courage to keep going, even when it’s hard. But I believe in this movement, and I believe in all of you. Together, we’re not just fighting back, we’re building something better. So, let’s keep going.”