STATE News:WASHINGTON, D.C. — Giffords, the gun safety organization led by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, announced its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján for United States Senate from New Mexico.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:
“I’ve known Ben Ray Luján to be a tireless advocate for New Mexico ever since I had the privilege of serving alongside him in Congress. He understands that progress does not happen unless you bring people together around a common goal. Ben Ray brings that perspective to his advocacy to address America’s gun violence crisis. I am grateful for the leadership he showed in helping us take on and beat the NRA in the 2018 midterm elections as head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the subsequent historic passage of HR 8. While Ben Ray stepped up, Mitch McConnell has remained silent and refused to bring this bipartisan legislation to the Senate floor. That inaction is exactly why we need courageous leaders like Ben Ray in the Senate. He will never stop working until New Mexico families can live free from the fear of gun violence.”
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján:
“We have a moral obligation to stop needless gun violence from claiming more lives in our schools, our communities, and in our places of worship. Action is imperative, and when elected to the U.S. Senate, I will make advancing commonsense gun safety legislation a priority – just as House Democrats did this year when I voted to enact universal background checks and close the Charleston loophole. I’m humbled to receive an endorsement from my dear friend Gabby. She is a courageous woman who has led the charge to ensure Americans are safe and I promise to closely work alongside her to end senseless gun violence.”
Luján has played a critical role in the recent progress on gun safety. In 2017, when two students were tragically shot and killed at Aztec High School in his district, Congressman Luján responded with action, not just thoughts and prayers. A responsible hunter, he has voted to require background checks on every gun sale and to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers and stalkers. New Mexico families can count on Luján to continue working to keep their communities safe from gun violence in the United States Senate, he said.
In 2018, 101 Giffords-endorsed gun safety champions were elected to the US House of Representatives, helping flip the House and defeating dozens of the NRA’s top champions. This new majority came to office with a mandate for a gun safety agenda and took historic action in February by overwhelmingly passing theBipartisan Background Checks Act. In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has ignored the vast majority of Americans who support the legislation by refusing to bring the bill to the floor. In the 2020 cycle, Giffords will continue working to elect gun safety advocates to Congress and defeat politicians who oppose commonsense gun violence prevention efforts.
