Gabrielle Giffords had some harsh but necessary words for Republican members of Congress on Thursday. The former Democratic Representative from Arizona from Arizona schooled Republican representatives who are dodging town hall meetings amidst citizen outcry, reminding them that her office was open and running just days after being shot in the head in 2011.
Giffords, who co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, a gun reform non-profit, tweeted on Thursday, “I was shot on a Saturday morning. By Monday morning my offices were open to the public.”
As a member of Congress, I believed that listening to my constituents was the most basic and core tenet of the job I was hired to do.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) February 23, 2017
She followed up with a tweet telling members of Congress to “have courage” and “Face their constituents.”
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To the politicians who have abandoned their civic obligations, I say this: Have some courage. Face your constituents. Hold town halls.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) February 23, 2017
Giffords also tweeted out a statement from Americans for Responsible Solutions, published Thursday, which noted that her statement was largely in response to comments made by Texas Republican Representative Louie Gohmert, who referred to Gifford’s shooting as a reason he was not holding town halls.
"Many of the members of Congress who are refusing to hold town halls and listen to their constituents concerns are the very same politicians that have opposed commonsense gun violence prevention policies and have allowed the Washington gun lobby to threaten the safety of law enforcement and everyday citizens in our schools, businesses, places of worship, airports, and movie theaters," Giffords wrote. "To the politicians who have abandoned their civic obligations, I say this: Have some courage. Face your constituents. Hold town halls.”
Gohmert isn’t the only Republican who is refusing to face his constituents in town hall meetings. Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s constituents held a town hall last week, which the Senator refused to attend, the Miami New Times reported. He did, however, answer a few questions from protesters we caught up with him outside of Florida International University on Thursday.