Gabby Giffords' PAC Looks To Defeat Six Republicans In 2018

TUCSON, AZ — Gabby Giffords, who as a member of Congress survived an assassination attempt, said Wednesday the gun safety organization she started is working to defeat six Republicans in the mid-term elections this November. Among those targeted for defeat is House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

Those targeted have for years refused to vote for gun violence prevention legislation, according to the announcement from Giffords.org, which the former congresswoman founded with her husband, astronaut Captain Mark Kelly.

"America, you have the power to change our Congress," Giffords said in a statement. "The gun lobby has used its cash and influence to stifle any attempts to pass laws in Washington DC to make our schools, parks, and communities more safe."

The six members of Congress the group would like to see defeated include five representatives and one senator, Dean Heller of Nevada. Besides Ryan, the four other representatives are Mike Coffman of Colorado, Vern Buchanan of Florida, Pete Sessions of Texas and Barbara Comstock of Virginia.

"Politicians paid to defend the firearms industry can no longer get away with saying thoughts and prayers and then staying silent," Giffords said. "They can no longer say that these acts of violence are acts of nature, beyond our control. They are not."

The organization says that the effort stems from Giffords' reaction to the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed.

Giffords tweeted out, #VoteCourage, asking people to stand up to the gun lobby.

In the hours after her tweet, 450,000 people took the pledge, according to the organization.

The group, which received more than $5 million in donations in the week after the massacre in Parkland, will spend at least $10 million to help defeat the six Republicans.

File photo of Giffords and Kelly via Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images.