Gabby Giffords facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gabby Giffords
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Giffords in 2022
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 8th district |
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| In office January 3, 2007 – January 25, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Kolbe |
| Succeeded by | Ron Barber |
| Member of the Arizona Senate from the 28th district |
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| In office January 8, 2003 – December 1, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Randall Gnant |
| Succeeded by | Paula Aboud |
| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 13th district |
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| In office January 1, 2001 – January 8, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Andy Nichols |
| Succeeded by | Steve Gallardo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gabrielle Dee Giffords
June 8, 1970 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (since 2000) |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (1988–2000) |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Paltrow (second cousins) |
| Education | Scripps College (BA) Cornell University (MRP) |
| Awards | .svg){kind=small} Presidential Medal of Freedom (2022) |
| Signature |  |
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is a former American politician and a strong supporter of safer gun laws. She was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Arizona from 2007 to 2012. She stepped down from her role after a serious brain injury from a shooting.
Giffords is a member of the Democratic Party. She was one of the first women from Arizona to be elected to the U.S. Congress. She was born and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. She went to Scripps College and Cornell University.
After college, Giffords worked in New York City. She helped with economic development. Later, she returned to Arizona to run her family's business, El Campo Tire Warehouses. She served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2001 to 2003. Then she was in the Arizona Senate from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In January 2011, Giffords had just started her third term. She was shot during a public event near Tucson. This event was called "Congress on Your Corner." She has since worked hard to recover her ability to walk, speak, read, and write. In August 2011, she returned to the House floor and received a standing ovation.
She attended President Obama's State of the Union address in January 2012. The next day, she formally resigned from Congress. Her colleagues praised her strength and courage.
After leaving Congress, Giffords became a strong voice for safer gun laws. In 2013, she and her husband started an organization called Americans for Responsible Solutions. This group later became known as Giffords. It works to prevent gun violence.
Giffords is married to Mark Kelly, a former Space Shuttle Commander. He is now a senator for Arizona.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gabrielle Dee Giffords was born on June 8, 1970, in Tucson, Arizona. Her parents were Gloria Kay and Spencer J. Giffords. She grew up in a family with different religious backgrounds. Her mother was a Christian Scientist, and her father was Jewish.
Her grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, was a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania. He changed his name to Giffords to avoid prejudice against Jewish people in the United States. Through her father, Gabby Giffords is a second cousin to actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.
Giffords went to University High School in Tucson. She was also a Girl Scout. In 1993, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Scripps College in California. She studied Sociology and Latin American History. She also spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico.
She then went to graduate school at Cornell University. In 1996, she earned a Master's degree in Regional Planning. Her studies focused on how Mexico and the United States relate to each other.
Giffords worked for Price Waterhouse in New York City. In 1996, she became the president and CEO of El Campo Tire Warehouses. This was a local chain of auto service centers started by her grandfather. The business was sold in 2000.
Since 2001, she has practiced Judaism. She belongs to a Reform synagogue in Tucson.
Arizona Legislature
Becoming a State Legislator
In 2000, Giffords changed her political party from Republican to Democratic. In 2001, she was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. In 2002, she was elected to the Arizona Senate. At that time, she was the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona Senate. She took office in January 2003 and was re-elected in 2004. She stepped down from the Arizona Senate in December 2005. This was to prepare for her campaign for the U.S. Congress.
Work in the State Legislature
In 2005, Giffords noted that Arizona faced many challenges. These included a lack of high-paying jobs and issues with schools and healthcare. She said that fast growth and people moving into the state were putting a strain on public services.
Giffords worked to expand access to healthcare. She also supported bills related to mental health. The Mental Health Association of Arizona named her Legislator of the Year in 2004. She also received an award from the Sierra Club for her environmental work.
She was part of the Children's Caucus, a group that worked to improve education and healthcare for children in Arizona. She worked with Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to promote all-day kindergarten. Giffords also supported getting more money for schools. She received an award for her work in family literacy.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections to Congress
- 2006 Election
Giffords announced her campaign for the U.S. Congress in January 2006. Many important Democrats supported her, including Bill Clinton. She won her party's nomination in September 2006.
Her opponent was Randy Graf, a conservative Republican. Giffords won the election on November 7, 2006, with 54 percent of the votes. Her victory showed that many Americans were open to new ideas about immigration. She was the first Jewish woman elected to Congress from Arizona.
- 2008 Election
In 2008, Giffords ran for a second term. Her opponent was Tim Bee, a former colleague from the Arizona State Senate. Even though John McCain was running for president from Arizona, Giffords was reelected. She won with 56.20 percent of the votes.
- 2010 Election
In November 2010, Giffords won a close race against Republican Jesse Kelly. Kelly was a Tea Party candidate. Giffords had been a target for defeat by Sarah Palin's political group.
On January 6, 2011, Giffords participated in a reading of the United States Constitution in the House of Representatives. She read the First Amendment.
Serving in Congress
Giffords became a congresswoman on January 3, 2007. She was the third woman from Arizona to serve in the U.S. Congress. In her first speech, she talked about improving immigration laws. She wanted to secure the border and create a guest-worker program.
In her first month, Giffords voted for more federal funding for stem-cell research. She also voted to raise the minimum wage. She supported new rules for the House to improve ethics. She also voted to remove subsidies for big oil companies and instead support renewable energy.
Giffords introduced a bill to stop the sale of F-14 aircraft parts. This was to prevent them from being bought by Iran. She also supported a national day to recognize cowboys. She voted for a bill to fund troops in Iraq, saying she couldn't let the military run out of money. She has also been a strong supporter of the Girl Scouts.
In 2011, Giffords voted for John Lewis for Speaker of the House. Her spokesperson said this showed her desire for strong and moral leadership.
Giffords was part of the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition. These are groups of moderate Democrats. She also helped start the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus. She was known for supporting solar energy and securing the Mexico–United States border.
Committees She Served On
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on Science, Space and Technology
- Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (Leading Member)
- Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation
Attempted Assassination and Recovery
On January 8, 2011, Giffords was shot in the head. This happened outside a Safeway store near Tucson, Arizona. She was holding a "Congress on Your Corner" event. The shooter injured 19 people, and six of them died.
The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, was stopped by bystanders. He was then taken into police custody. Giffords's intern, Daniel Hernández Jr., gave her first aid. Many believe he helped save her life.
Her husband, Mark Kelly, and his daughters flew to Tucson right away.
Her Recovery Journey
After therapy in Houston, Giffords went to Kennedy Space Center. This was for the launch of her husband's last Space Shuttle mission, STS-134, in May 2011. Kelly wore his wife's wedding ring into space.
In June 2011, Giffords left the hospital to go home. She continued her speech, music, physical, and occupational therapy. She had played the French horn as a child. She started playing it again as part of her music therapy.
On August 1, 2011, she returned to the House floor. She voted to raise the debt limit. Her fellow members of Congress gave her a standing ovation. In October, Giffords went to Washington for her husband's retirement ceremony. She presented him with the Distinguished Flying Cross medal.
In November 2011, Kelly's book, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, was released. He wrote that Giffords planned to return to Congress. As of 2016, she still had trouble with language. She also had lost half of her vision in both eyes.
Leaving Congress
On January 22, 2012, Giffords announced she would resign. She said she wanted to focus on her recovery. She attended President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address on January 24. She officially resigned on January 25.
She appeared on the House floor for a special farewell ceremony. Her last bill was passed unanimously. Members of Congress praised her strength. Her resignation letter was read by her friend, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
After Congress
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Giffords and her husband wrote a book together called Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. It was published in November 2011. They were interviewed about the book on ABC's 20/20.
Giffords has appeared at every Democratic National Convention since she left Congress. In 2012, she led the Pledge of Allegiance. In 2016, she spoke to support Hillary Clinton. In 2020, she spoke for Joe Biden and urged action on gun control. She also spoke about gun safety at the 2024 convention.
After her shooting, Giffords became a strong advocate for preventing gun violence. In 2013, she and her husband started Americans for Responsible Solutions. This group supports candidates who want safer gun laws. In 2017, the organization became known simply as Giffords.
As of 2022, Giffords still experiences aphasia. This is a disorder that makes it hard to communicate thoughts through spoken language. She co-founded "Friends of Aphasia." This group helps others who have the same disorder.
The White House gave Giffords the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2022. This is a very high honor. She was also the Grand Marshal of the 2023 Rose Parade.
Personal Life
Giffords married U.S. Navy captain and NASA astronaut Mark Kelly on November 10, 2007. Kelly was a pilot and commander on several Space Shuttle missions. He became a U.S. Senator for Arizona in 2020.
Giffords was a member of the Arizona board for the Anti-Defamation League. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Giffords volunteered in Houston, Texas. She helped with relief efforts for hurricane victims. She wrote about her experience in the Tucson Citizen newspaper.
Before her injury, Giffords loved to read. She was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition talking about her favorite books. She was also interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered in 2007. This series focused on her experiences as a new member of Congress.
Political Views
Economy
Giffords voted against President Bush's Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 at first. She later changed her vote to "yes." She also voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In August 2011, she voted to raise the debt ceiling.
Education
Giffords believes that Americans need good education to compete globally. She criticized the No Child Left Behind Act because it was a federal law without enough funding. She supports public schools and making them more efficient.
Energy
Giffords strongly supports renewable energy, especially solar energy. She believes it should be a top priority.
In 2007, she wrote a report called The Community Solar Energy Initiative, Solar Energy in Southern Arizona. It said that Arizona has enough sunshine to power the entire United States. She also pushed for tax credits to help the renewable energy industry grow.
Immigration and Border Security
Giffords's district bordered Mexico. She said that Arizona's SB 1070 law showed the federal government needed to do more. She hoped the law would be a "wake-up call." However, she did not support the law itself. She said it did not secure the border and went against Arizona's history.
In August 2010, Giffords praised the arrival of National Guard troops at the border. She said Arizonans had waited a long time for this.
Giffords worked to pass a bill in 2010 to fund more Border Patrol agents and surveillance technology. The bill that passed was for $600 million. It was less than she wanted, but she said it showed a stronger commitment to border protection.
In 2008, Giffords introduced a bill to increase the number of H-1B visas. These visas allow skilled foreign workers to come to the U.S. She said this would help high-tech companies in southern Arizona. However, her bill was not voted on.
Gun Control
Before she was shot, Giffords opposed some gun bans in Washington, D.C. She signed a legal document supporting the overturn of bans on handguns in homes.
In January 2013, Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly started a group called Americans for Responsible Solutions. Its goal is to promote gun-control laws with politicians and the public.
In 2020, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention. She urged action on gun control. She worked with a speech therapist for months to prepare. She also played "America" on the French horn as a symbol of her recovery.
Naming Honors
On February 10, 2012, the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, announced that a new U.S. Navy ship would be named USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10). Giffords, who was still recovering, attended the ship's keel-laying ceremony. She etched her initials into a plate that was welded into the ship.
The USS Gabrielle Giffords was officially named at a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, on June 13, 2015. Giffords attended the ceremony with Jill Biden, who was the ship's sponsor. The ship was officially put into service on June 12, 2017, in Galveston, Texas.
Images for kids
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Gabrielle Giffords's signature
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Ribbon for the Presidential Medal of Freedom
