(CNN) -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly have launched what they hope will mark a new era in the battle over gun rights in America. On the second anniversary of a mass shooting in Arizona that wounded Giffords and killed six others, the couple launched a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, along with a website calling for contributions to help "encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership." In an op-ed in USA Today, the two make their goal clear: to counter the influence of the gun lobby.
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NEW: Giffords and Kelly cite overall figure for gun deaths which includes suicides
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The two launched a political action committee to raise money to counter the gun lobby
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A Connecticut lawmaker apologized for telling Giffords to "stay out"
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Giffords and Kelly want background checks for private sales of firearms
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"@placeholder has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others," Giffords writes.
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"America has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others," @placeholder writes.