Giffords spoke on Wednesday calling for expanded criminal background checks on all commercial firearms sales . The National Rifle Association has been pushing Congress to pass legislation that would expand the federal background check system and ban assault weapons like those used in last week's mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, She was shot in the head by a crazed gunman in 2011 by Jared Loughner , who had passed a background check . Up until now the NRA has refrained from attacking Giffords over her gun safety attempts since she almost died . Rep. Kathleen Rice , who is among the co-sponsors of the bill , called the NRA 's response as pathetic .
Giffords spoke on Wednesday calling for expanded criminal background checks on all commercial firearms sales . The NRA tweeted a link on Thursday to a story which argued that background checks do n't reduce gun violence and mocked Giffords . She was shot in the head by a crazed gunman in 2011 by Jared Loughner , who had passed a background check . Up until now the NRA has refrained from attacking Giffords over her gun safety attempts since she almost died . Rep. Kathleen Rice , who is among the co-sponsors of the bill , called the NRA 's response as pathetic .