Giffords asks Congress for bold gun-control bill

Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously injured in the mass shooting that killed six people in Tucson, Ariz., two years ago, center, arrives, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, to speak before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on what lawmakers should do to curb gun violence in the wake of last month's shooting rampage at that killed 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn. From left are, the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., and her husband Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut, Giffords, right.
Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously injured in the mass shooting that killed six people in Tucson, Ariz., two years ago, center, arrives, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, to speak before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on what lawmakers should do to curb gun violence in the wake of last month's shooting rampage at that killed 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn. From left are, the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., and her husband Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut, Giffords, right.

— Wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords urged Congress on Wednesday to enact tougher curbs on guns, saying, “too many children are dying” without them.

“The time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous, Americans are counting on you,” she told the Senate Judiciary Committee at Congress’ first gun control hearing since 20 elementary school children were shot to death in Newtown, Conn., late last year.

She spoke haltingly, a result of the wounds suffered when she was shot in the head in an attempted assassination two years ago that left six others dead.

But in conflicting testimony a little more than an hour later, a top official of the National Rifle Association rejected bans on certain assault weapons and high capacity magazines advocated by President Barack Obama and gun control advocates in Congress.

Under persistent questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the panel’s chairman, the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre also conceded that in a reversal, his organization no longer supports universal background checks for gun owners. He said the current system is a failure because the administration doesn’t prosecute potential violators aggressively.

“Back in ’99 you said, ‘no loopholes, nowhere,’” said Leahy, referring to testimony delivered more than a decade ago. “Now you do not support background checks for all.”

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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