I survived a mass shooting.

It was a chilly Saturday morning in January. I was with my former boss, Rep. Gabby Giffords, greeting constituents at a local supermarket.

Then, a gunman armed with a semi-automatic weapon opened fire. 19 people were shot in under 20 seconds. I was shot. Gabby was shot. Six people died. My friends died.

This horrific incident and the hundreds of mass shootings that followed didn’t lead to change. Washington offered thoughts and prayers, but did nothing.

Why? Because the NRA controls the Republican Party.

We need to take on the devastating influence of the gun lobby. That starts by overturning Citizens United and getting big money out of politics.

Before the Supreme Court handed down the disastrous Citizens United decision, I didn’t think the NRA could obtain any more control over Congress.

How wrong I was. The gun lobby’s influence has since grown to be nearly unbreakable.

That’s why I’m so proud to announce that I’m joining End Citizens United PAC’s Board of Directors.

Together, we’re going to defeat the NRA, get big money out of politics, and pass common-sense reforms to keep people safe.

But we need your immediate help to get our efforts off the ground. Will you rush a contribution before tomorrow’s Mid-Year Deadline?

As a survivor of the Tucson shooting, I understand that behind all of the news headlines and the statistics are real human beings.

I know the grief and the numbness that follows the news that your loved one is dead or in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds.

But Congressional Republicans don’t just don’t get it. Let’s call their inaction what it is: Political cowardice in the face of opposition from the gun lobby.

Let’s send a message that America won’t tolerate the NRA’s stranglehold on Congress anymore. Donate to End Citizens United right now:

http://act.endcitizensunited.org/Stop-NRA-Fund

It’s long past time to do something about gun violence. That’s why End Citizens United won’t give up until the big money gun lobby is defeated.

In Solidarity,

Former Congressman Ron Barber
Arizona’s 2nd District

Member, Board of Directors
End Citizens United PAC