WASHINGTON — DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement of executive actions to reduce gun violence:

 “Five years ago this week, my friend Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was leading an event for her constituents in Arizona when she was shot by a deranged, mentally ill gunman. She was left with a severe brain injury, and six people died including a federal district court judge, a Congressional staff member, and a nine-year old girl. Since then, Congress has passed no new measures to protect Americans from such acts of depravity, despite mass shootings in communities like Newtown, Aurora, Charleston, Roseburg and many others.

“I congratulate President Obama for taking the responsible and necessary course to use every tool at his disposal to curb gun violence. In the meantime, Republican congressional leaders and Republican presidential candidates continue to do the bidding of the gun lobby and oppose commonsense measures to reduce the 30,000 gun deaths per year in our country.

“The Republican presidential candidates are so extreme in their opposition to preventing gun violence that Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul voted against keeping guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists. They also voted against criminal background checks that have wide, bipartisan support including over 80 percent of gun owners nationally. 

“There are things we can do to make our country more safe from mass shootings while respecting our Second Amendment, yet the Republican Party blocks these measures at every turn. They show nothing but political cowardice, siding with the NRA to protect the profits of gun manufacturers over the safety of their own constituents and the American people, who are sick of gun tragedies devastating communities across our country.

“The President’s reasonable, legal actions today help us forge a moral path forward as a nation. Once again, Democrats are prepared to lead as Republican politicians stick their heads in the sand.”