Gun control Giffords once supported gun rights.[103] In 2008 she opposed Washington D.C. prohibitions on possession of handguns in the home and having usable firearms there, signing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to support its overturn.[103][104]

Despite her stated support, gun rights groups have typically given her low grades on the topic. She has a D+ rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA)[105] and a D from the Gun Owners of America (GOA).[106]

However, subsequent to the assassination attempt against her she has expressed a strong gun control stance.[107][108]

Americans for Responsible Solutions Giffords created Americans for Responsible Solutions,[109] which is a not-for-profit organization and Super PAC whose mission is to "encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership by communicating directly with the constituents that elect them."[110]

The organization was announced on January 8, 2013 by Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly.[111] In an op-ed published in USA Today, Giffords and Kelly referred to the NRA lobby and sought to counter it by creating a lobby dedicated to gun control measures.[112] Giffords was a surprise witness at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence on January 30, 2013.[113] In a halting voice, she called for Congress to pass tougher laws on guns, saying "too many children are dying." Giffords is right-handed; her speech therapist had to write out her statement for her since her right arm was paralyzed in the shooting.[94]