Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) on Wednesday urged gun control advocates to “never stop fighting” in a speech outside the Capitol.
The former Arizona congresswoman, who survived a 2011 Tucson mass shooting that left six dead, urged dozens of attendees to be “courageous.”
“Now is the time to come together,” Giffords told the crowd. “Be responsible. Democrats, Republicans, everyone. We must never stop fighting. Fight, fight, fight.”
Giffords was joined by a handful of lawmakers who support gun control, including Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
{mosads}Gun control advocates face an uphill battle with President Trump in the White House. Trump spoke last week at the National Rifle Association’s leadership forum to thank the group for its support.
Trump and Republicans have called for laws making it easier for gun owners to purchase “silencers,” or sound suppressors, as well as travel with their firearms across state lines.
Murphy admitted Democrats may have to “play defense to stop some pretty terrible pieces of legislation from becoming law.”
But gun control advocates are not backing down. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) called for Democrats to hold another gun control sit-in on the House floor. Democrats took over the House floor last June in a sit-in to protest the lack of legislative action on gun violence.
“We will never give up,” Blumenthal said. “We are not going away. We are redoubling our determination and our efforts. We are determined to win this fight.”