and there will be opening remarks by the house democratic leader in anti policy. live coverage here on c-span. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father coughlin. chaplain coughlin: with the son et we pray for this dong and the nation. come let us bless the lord at all times. that praise always be on our lips. if the lord is your boast, be humble, listen and be moved. glorify the lord with me. together let us reverence the holy name. when in difficulty we look for the lord, then from all our terrors we were set free. when most vulnerable we called out to the lord and we were rescued from all our difficulties. so rev rens the lord with all the saints for those who revere the lord will lack no blessing.

in the midst of everything, let us seek the lord, both now and forever. amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from ohio, mr. kucinich. mr. kucinich: please join the members of congress as we recite the pledge. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> madam speaker, i rise to offer a privileged resolution and did for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 33. resolved that the following named members be and are hereby elected -- mr. hensarling: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read and printed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> we'd like to have the

resolution read if possible. the speaker pro tempore: the objection is heard. the clerk will report the resolution. without objection, the gentleman withdraws the objection on the resolution -- and the resolution is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? >> madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order at any time in the legislative day of january 12, 2011, to consider in the house without intervention of any point of order a resolution related to recent events in tucson, arizona, if offered by the speaker or his designee. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cantor: such resolution shall be debatable for six hours equally divided and controlled by the majority leader and the minority leader or their respected designees and the previous question shall be considered as ordered on such resolution and any preamble thereto final adoption without intervening motion.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? mr. boehner: i ask for the resolution and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: house resolution 32. whereas on january 8, 2011, an armed gunman opened fire at a congress on your corner event hosted by representative gabrielle giffords of tucson, arizona, killing six and wounding at least 14 others. whereas christina taylor green, dorothy morris, john rohl, and gabriel zimmerman lost their lives in this attack. whereas christina taylor green, a 9-year-old daughter of john and roxanne green, was born on september 11, 2001, and was a third grader with an avid interest in government who was recently leblingted to the

student council in mesa verde elementary school. whereas dorothy morris attended the january 8 event with george, her husband of over 50 years, with whom she had two daughters and who was also critically injured as he tried to shield her from the shooting. whereas john rohl, a pennsylvania native who was 63 years old, began his professional career as a bailiff in 1972, was appointed to the federal bench in 1991 and became a chief judge for the district of arizona in 2006 and was a devoted husband to his wife, marie, father to his three sons and grandfather to his five grandchildren. whereas phyllis, a proud mother of three, grandmother of seven, a great-grandmother from new jersey, was spending the wenter in arizona and was a 79-year-old church volunteer and a new york giants fan. whereas dorwan, a volunteer at

the mountain avenue church of christ, is credited with shielding his wife, a long-time friend whom he married while they were in their 60's who was also injured in the shooting. whereas gabriel matthew zimmerman who was 30 years old and engaged to be married served as director of community outreach to representative gabrielle giffords and was a social worker before serving with representative giffords. whereas representative gabrielle giffords was the target of this attack and remains in critical condition at the arizona hospital. whereas 13 others were also wounded in the shooting, including ron barber and pamela simon, both stafferers to representative giffords and whereas several individuals, including patricia mosh, amply -- army colonel bill badger, retired, who was also wounded in the shooting, roger schullingburg, and daniel hernandez jr. helped apprehend the gunman and assist the

injured, thereby risking their lives for the safety of others and shall be commended for their bravery. now therefore be it resolved that the house of representatives, one, condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific attack which occurred at the congress on your corner event hosted by representative gabrielle giffords in tucson, arizona, on january 8, 2011. two, offers its heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of those who were killed in the attack. three, expresses its hope for the rapid and complete recovery of those wounded in the shooting. four, honors the memory of christina taylor green, dorothy morris, john rohl, phyllis, dorwan and gabriel zimmerman. five, applauds the bravery and quick thinking exhibited by those individuals who prevented the gunman from potentially taking more lives and helped to save those who have been

wounded. six, recognizing the service of the first responders who raced to the scene and the health care professionals who attended to the victims once they reached the hospital. whose service and skill saved lives. seven, reaffirms the bedrock principle of american democracy and representative government which is memorialized in the first amendment of the constitution and which representative gabrielle giffords herself read in the hall of the house of representatives on january 6, 2011, of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. eight, stands firm in its belief in the democracy of which all can participate in which intimidation and threats of violence cannot silence the voices of any american. nine, honors the service and leadership of representative gabrielle giffords, a distinguished member of this house, as she courageously fights to recover and, ten, when adjourning today, shall do so

out of the respect to the victims of this attack. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house today, the resolution shall be debatable for six hours, divided equally and controlled by the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees. the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor, and the gentleman from arizona, mr. pastor, each will control three hours. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i yield one minute to the speaker of the house, the gentleman from ohio. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio, the speaker of the house, is recognized for one minute. the speaker: madam speaker, my colleagues today, we are called here to mourn. an unspeakable act of violence has taken six innocent lives and left several more, including our colleague, gabrielle giffords, battling for theirs. these are difficult hours for

our country. among the fallen is gave zimmerman, a member of congresswoman giffords' staff, a public servant of the highest caliber, one of our own. and even in our shock, we are composed and determined to fulfill our calling to represent our constituents. this is the great cause for which gave gave his life. we swore an oath to uphold the constitution and at the time of the attack, he was engaged in the most simple and direct of democratic rituals. listening to the people. listening to his neighbors. the brutality that shattered saturday morning's calm was devastating but brief. bravery and quick thinking prevented a larger massacre. turning innocent bystanders into

heroes. the service and skill of first responders and medical professionals saved lives. law enforcement officials are now working to ensure swift justice. look to tucson right now and you'll be reminded that america's most plentiful source of wealth and strength is her people. we're thankful, so thankful, that gabby is still with us and we're thankful that two of her staffers who were also wounded, ron barber and pam simmons, are with us as well. in her steady, gabby's staff has pressed on, opening for business monday morning, right on schedule. and the men and women who faithfully served the people of arizona's eighth district have signaled that no act, no matter how heinous, will stop us from doing our duty and being among the people we serve.

and to all the dedicated professionals that we rely on to make this institution work, to each of you, thank you for what you do. and to gabby's staff and their families, please know that our hearts and prayers go out to each of you. this body has yet to fully register the magnitude of this tragedy. we feel a litany of unwanted emotions that no resolution could possibly capture. we know that we gather here without distinction of party, the needs of this institution have always risen above partisanship. and what this institution needs right now is strength. wholly and uplifting strength. the strength to grieve with the families of the fallen, to pray for the wounded and to chart a

way forward no matter how painful and difficult it may be. today is not a ceremony, but tragedy that stirs us to renew our commitment to faithfully fulfill our oath of office. and let us not let this inhuman act frighten us into doing otherwise. the free exchange of ideas is the life blood of our democracy as prescribed by the first amendment, the beacon of free expression that congresswoman giffords recited in this well just days ago. these rights have not been handed down by dictate, they've been preserved and protected through generations of hard sacrifice and commitment. and we will continue that unfinished work. we will do it for christina taylor green, dorothy morris, phyllis shank, dorwan, ordinary

citizens who died participating in their democracy, and we will do it for judge john and we'll do it for gave zimmerman. and we will do it, god willing, with gabrielle giffords. our hearts are broken but our spirit is not. this is a time for the house to lock arms in prayer for the fallen and the wounded and resolve to carry on a dialogue of democracy. . we may not have all the final answers but we already have the answer that matters most. that we are americans and we'll make it through this difficult period. we will have the last word. god bless this house. god bless this congress. and god bless america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona.

>> madam speaker, i yield one minute to the minority leader, ms. pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from california, the minority leader, is recognized for one minute. ms. pelosi: thank you very much, madam speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. extend my condolences to him, mr. pastor, the senior member of the arizona delegation, and all of the members of the arizona delegation. madam speaker, i'm pleased and saddened greatly saddened to join the speaker of the house, mr. boehner, in coming together in sadness today to share our prayers and indeed our hopes for those who have lost so much because of the tragedy in arizona involving our colleague, congresswoman gabby giffords. her staff and innocent bystanders. words are inadequate at a time like this, but nonetheless i hope it is a comfort to those

who are -- lost loved ones, or injured on saturday that so many people mourn the losses but also pray for the survivors and care for them at this very difficult time. i think the resolution is -- its description of what happened and the context with which it happened is an excellent resolution and i hope people will read it, pray over it, and be grateful that we had this opportunity to comment on it. today we will say many prayers for our country and for the victims of this horrific evening. we think of our colleague, congresswoman gabby giffords, fighting to recover and the 14 others who were injured,

remember the six who were killed. there names are mentioned and they are described in the resolution. the speaker has mentioned their names, but i think acknowledging them bears repetition. how do you explain the death of the 9-year-old christina taylor green, recently been elected to the student council in her school, mesa vare day elementary school? -- verde elementary school? the unbearable grief of john and rocks an -- roxanne green. dorothy morris married for more than 50 years to her high school sweetheart and mother of two. federal judge john roll who had just come from mass. which he attended every day. phyllis schneck, mother of three, grandmother of seven, and

great grandmother. and i know the new yorkers are glad to hear she's a giants fan. snowbird in arizona carrying that dedication wes. dorwan stoddard, died shielding his wife, mary, shielding his wife, mary. and has been mentioned in the resolution and we have mourned, congresswoman gabby giffords director of community outreach gabrielle matthew zimmerman. one ever his -- gabriel matthew zimmerman. one of his co-workers said gave for the living. some who protected others, wong member, phyllis, who grabbed the fuel magazine of ammunition of the killer as he attempted to reload. just think how many more we could have lost. roger sulzgeber and joseph

zimudeo, and daniel hernandez jr., 20 years old an intern who had just been on the job for four days when he heard gunshots, he ran toward them, ran toward them, and attended to congresswoman giffords, helping to staunch her bleeding with his own hands. pray for the recovery of other members of congresswoman giffords staff, ron barber, pam simon, and the entire giffords staff for carrying on. those heroes at the scene were joined by first responders from county and municipalities, arriving just three minutes after the first 9-1-1 call and performed excellently and in doing so saved lives. we also pay tribute to the skilled professionals at arizona's university medical

center whose role is ongoing. healing the victims of this tragedy. tonight the university community. to acknowledge together saturday's tragedy. promptly this is called together we thrive, tucson and america. together we thrive, tucson and america, will be an opportunity to grieve and it will be a demonstration of our strength. strength in community. a strength in community that was demonstrated last saturday, a strength in community there that is ongoing. tucson demonstrated its strength on saturday when the city was full of heroes, ordinary citizens, victims, first responders coming together in the spirit of community.

madam speaker, our colleague, congresswoman giffords, was the primary target of cowardly act, and as she recovers, we honor her as a brilliant and courageous member of congress. she brought to congress an invigoration, thinking of new generation of national leaders. a businesswoman, state legislator, she came to congress full of ideas, and we will long continue to be blessed by them, look forward to when she is present with us on the floor. she has spoken out courageously and led boldly when the times demanded it. it's especially tragic that those who lost their lives and those who were wounded had come together as the resolution presents to participate in an activity that reflects the best of our democratic tradition. a representative of the people,

gabby giffords, her staff hearing directly from the men and women she represents. american democracy is founded on our commitment to a contest of ideas not violence. political disagreement and dissent must never violate our nation's values as expressed in the constitution, of free expression, speech, and peaceful assembly. gabby spoke to that right here from the floor last week. in this hour of anguish, we seek renewed commitment to hope, to civility, to peace among the american people. in our -- many of our churches we sing on sunday and other days of the week, let there be peace on earth and let it begin i guess with us, but with me. with each of us, within each of us.

speaking as one house today, coming together, peace with us, we offer our thoughts and support, our prayers to the health of our colleague, gabby, congresswoman gabrielle giffords, and all of the injured. we share the stories, the heroes of the tramdy, and mourn those who perished. let their actions and their memories be a blessing to our country. we don't know why god saw this to be necessary, but let this be something that we cherish as an opportunity as we mourn the heartbreaking horror of it all. this resolution is fitting tribute, great resolution, please read it again and again, carry those names in your heart. remember each of these people because of, again, a tragic

accident took lives, wounded people, in the free expression of ideas. may this resolution remind us of the urgent need to uphold our democratic values, to treat one another with courtesy and with respect, and to act as congresswoman giffords has always done and always do, in a manner that reflects the best of american leadership. as our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all who were affected, i want to call special attention to commander, captain mark kelly, gabby's husband, who has been a source of strength to all of us in this difficult time. we pray for him. we thank him for he -- for his and gabby's service to our country. god truly blessed america with their leadership, with their service. and with their love for each

other. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cantor: this week most members of the house will gather briefly here in washington, but our hearts and spirits will be in arizona. the unspeakable tragedy in tucson last saturday came as a complete shock, casting a pall over the entire nation. with this resolution we join 300 million americans and millions of others around the world in showing our solidarity with congresswoman giffords and the rest of the victims. gabby serves arizona's eighth district with distinction and thoughtful leadership and we are all praying for her speedy recovery. saturday's cowardly crime was more than just an attack on dozens of innocent americans at a grocery store.

it was an attack of the very essence of democracy and representative government. an assault on the open exchange of ideas between legislators and the people to whom they are accountable. this resolution honors the memory of christina taylor green, dorothy morris, judge john roll, phyllis schneck, dorwan stoddard, and gabrielle zimmerman. the -- gabriel zimmerman. it represents a broad american public, young and old, men, women, and child, friends, brothers, sisters, and children . they will be missed. but not forgotten. this inexplicable crime reminds us there is evil in the world. yet as we look for light in a thicket of darkness, our nation has drawn inspiration from the

bravery and quick thinking displayed by the heroes on the scene. were it not for their efforts, there likely would have been many more victims. the outpouring of support, prayer, and solidarity also reminds us that america is a country of compassion, community, and empathy. we will stand with the victims and their families and pray and mourn with them as they cope with this horrific tragedy. madam speaker, i also want to offer my thoughts of comfort to gabby giffords' staff and want them to know that our hearts hang heavy and our thoughts and prayers are with them. as they try and persevere through this very difficult time. madam speaker, i'd also like to add my thanks to the brave law enforcement that has helped our nation over the last several days and every day.

the law enforcement under the directorship of director mueller, the f.b.i., the local law enforcement in arizona, and from our perspective most especially the capitol bliss and -- capitol police and the office of the sergeant at arms and sergeant at arms themselves that they are doing each and every minute as we try to cope with this tragedy. madam speaker, this resolution affirms the point all of us want to make, our hearts are heavy, we mourn with the victims, and i urge my colleagues to support it. madam speaker, i yield my remaining time to the gentleman from arizona, mr. flake, and ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control that time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from arizona. million pastor: i yield four -- mr. pastor: i yield four

minutes to the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for four minutes. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman from arizona for yielding. madam speaker, this week we pause the work of the house to mourn the loss of lives of six of our fellow citizens. one of those born on that day of tragedy and carnage when thousands were slain and equally -- in an equally indiscriminate, heinous act of hate. citizens shot dead on saturday in tucson in pursuit of the right to peaceably assemble. . the amendment which gabrielle giffords read on this floor. we come as well to honor those who risked their lives to save others. to pray for the lives of the wounded. and to pray for our colleague and friend, congresswoman

gabrielle giffords. today this tellble of representative democracy -- tell am of representative democracy is -- temple of representative democracy is a sadder place. but representative giffords' intelligence and toughness, her public spirit and her charm will, god willing, and with the extraordinary med edcal care she is receiving -- medical care she is receiving, soon return to this body. and again be a practitioner and a model for the principles of civil debate and thoughtful deliberation on which this temple is founded. congresswoman giffords was attacked doing the work that is the heart of democracy as has been so eloquently observed by our speaker, mr. boehner. listening to her neighbors, listening to those who sent her here to washington to reflect

their views. each one of us have done that work, each one of us has come back bearing their fears and their hopes, their convictions and their visions for the future. some of course are everyday hopes, some are matters of life and death. but in each case we bring these hopes here and speak to our neighbors as best we can. that is what congresswoman giffords was doing. we do not know, of course, the specific motive which led the perpetrator of this crime to act. nor can we draw conclusions as to specific causes. but it seems to me it is a time for us to reflect on the heightened anger being projected on our public debate. and the daily denigration of those with whom we disagree and it is appropriate therefore that the wrenching, shocking,

senseless violence of that day compel us to reflect on our own represent -- responsibility to tell per our words -- temper our words and rcht those with whom we disagree. let the failure to do so give incitement to the angriest and most unstable among us. let us speak for our neighbors in a spirit of unity. not a false and shallow unity, not a unity that wishes away our differences or our discords, but a unity founded on our reverence for our democracy's most precious, most franl ilgift, its power -- fragile gift, its power to resolve without violence our questions. in a much darker time than ours, from the edge of a great war,

president lincoln addressed these words to the men and women whom even in the war's depths he refused to see as anything other than his fellow americans, he said this, we are not enemies but friends. we must not be enemies, though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. there are in every society and in every culture and every nation those who reflect that cede -- creed, but if we love our country, if we honor our oath to country, constitution and to our nation of laws, we must live by those words. there is perhaps nothing we can do that will prevent the mindless violence committed by the few. but we can and must appeal to

the best instincts of the many, to the families of the fallen we extend our sympathy. to the survivors we extend our prayers for a full and speedy recovery. and to our colleague, to our beloved colleague, gabby, we extend our love, our hopes for her early return to the chamber and our ranks. all of us in this time have come together, reached out to one another, comforted one another and lifted one another up. may that sentiment not pass quickly from this body or from this country. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona, mr.

flake. mr. flake: madam speaker, i want to thank speaker boehner and the leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing this resolution to the floor. this is indeed congress at its best. none of us will ever forget the feeling we had when we heard the news of the shooting last saturday, one of the victims of which was our dear friend and colleague, gabrielle giffords. a few hours after the news broke, i was in attendance at the press conference in tucson at the medical center, amid the turmoil and the anguish of the occasion there were audible expressions of joy and relief in that room and around the country when the doctor announced that gabby could listen and respond. gabby's progress over the past few days has been measured in much the same manner. the squeeze of a hand, the raising of two fingers, a thumbs up sign. each gesture letting us know that she hears, that she is listening and responding. these traits, listening and responding, have defined gabrielle giffords' career as a

legislater. let me give but one example born of another tragedy just 10 months ago. long-time arizonan known to provide assistance to those he found in need was murdered on his ranch near arizona's southern border. farmers and ranchers in arizona were understandably alarmed. gabby listened and responded over and over she contacted and visited those affected, reassuring them that help was on its way. she convened monthly conference calls for the farming and ranching communities involving the border patrol, immigrations and customs enforcement and justice department and other federal agencies, each month broadening the circle to include more stakeholders. we learned of her efforts in delegation meetings here in washington where she enlisted additional support last august. much as a result of gabby's persistent efforts, the congress acted, providing unprecedented resources to improve security in the area. gabby listened, she responded

and in the end congress responded as well. we are responding here today by giving thanks for the service of federal judge john roll and gave zimmerman for the public service they have rendered. we are responding today by recognizing the heroic life-saving efforts of people like daniel hernandez who delivered aid to congressman giffords, those who tackled the gunman, to dorwin stoddard, who shielded his wife from the gunfire, selflessly giving his own life that she might live. we are responding today by joining john and roxanne green in mourning the loss of their 9-year-old daughter christina, as well as the friends and families of dorothy murray and phyllis schneck. we in the arizona delegation are proud of the wonderful state that we together with more than six million of our friends and neighbors call home. arizona is defined not by the actions of a lone, crazed gunman, but by the heroism and bravery of those who left us on

saturday. and those like our friend and colleague gabrielle giffords who will continue to lead us in the future. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arizona, mr. pastor. mr. pastor: i yield three minutes to the leader of the caucus, mr. larson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut is recognized for three minutes. mr. larson: i thank the gentleman from arizona, thank you, madam speaker. shake peer -- shakespeare tells us in "othello, that when aigo whispers mistruths in the ear of othello, something beautiful dies. something beautiful died in tucson, arizona, this past saturday. people who came to an event to

hear their congresswoman speak, one little girl, 9 years old, all beautiful, all celebrating the great beauty and manlesty of our democrat -- majesty of our democracy passed on that day. who knows what mistruths were bouncing around in the head of the assassin, who could know that? but something beautiful died. democracy died just a little that day. but beauty has a way of coming back. it resides in people like

gabrielle giffords. she epitomizes all that is good and rich about serving in the united states congress. from her very demeanor, to her graciousness, to the way she carried herself in committee with her legislation and how she held forth with her constituents in an accountable manner that has become so much a fabric of our democracy, our congress on the corner. she truly is a beautiful person and that beauty had others responding that day with acts of remember wism that have already been recounted on -- heroism that have already been recounted on this floor, and that beauty lies in state with her husband

by her side and with the fervent prayers of a nation and hope, knowing and feeling confident that she will return from this awful incident and be back here with us, gracing us with her beauty and dignity and vision and purpose. one of her last remarks was, in speaking to mr. troy grayson, director of harvard institute of politics, was to say, i would love to talk about what we can do to promote criticism, centrism and modderism. i think we need to figure out how to tone down our rhetoric and the partisanship that exists here. with that i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona, there -- mr. flake. mr. flake: i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from arizona, mr. franks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. franks: and i thank the gentleman. madam speaker, the tragedy this week in arizona has been a reminder to all of us of the brevity and delicate nature of this earthly life. it is my prayer this morning that god would grant all of the victims named in this resolution as well as the grieving families and loved ones who are mourning the loss of the six precious lives that were taken that day the comfort, the peace and the restoration that only he can give. madam speaker, it happens that the only one of those victims that i knew well personally was our own gabby giffords. madam speaker, gabby and i are

from different parties and on past and happier days, many in arizona would often joke about the differences in our politics. but i can testify to you this morning, madam speaker, that in the four years that i have known gabby giffords, there has never been one unkind or even ters word passed between us. gabby giffords is a precious, warm, caring, decent human being whose warmth and charm touched the hearts of all who know her. and the testimony of her life and work is proof that true tolerance is not in pretending that we have no differences. it is being kind and decent to each other in spite of those ce and it strikes me as more than a poignant coincidence that only days before the tragedy we all

listened to gabby giffords as she stood at this very podium and read the words of the constitution's first amendment which protects the right of the people to peaceably assemble. and then only days later, madam speaker, as she was exercising that right and faithfully doing her job as a member of the united states congress, one berest of heart human compassion and respect for innocent human life mindlessly shattered her life and the lives of so many others around her. . madam speaker, the last words i had with gabby giffords were spoken not 10 feet from this podium when we exchanged simple with you genuine and heartfelt words and best wishes for the new year and the new congress. madam speaker, i will tell you that when i heard the news of this tragedy and the false report that gabby had died, i

felt such an overwhelming sense of grief in my soul to think that those were the last words i would ever speak to her. and it was a reminder to me, madam speaker, of the brevity and preshness of human life and freedom and just how important it really is for each of us to seize every moment and to speak kind and loving words to each other while we still can. so, madam speaker, it is my prayer that god would come -- would comfort the giffords family and all of the victims of this horrible tragedy and hold them closely in his arms as only he can and that he would someday very soon return a smiling gabby giffords to this chamber and to all of us. as clear eyed and as whole as when she left us. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona, mr. pastor. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i

ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pastor: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: i would also join my colleague from arizona, jeff flake, in thanking the leadership and bringing this resolution here this morning. i also want to recognize that representative giffords staff is in the gallery with us this morning. so we want to wish them the best. madam speaker, it is with great sadness i rise today to pay tribute to six innocent and precious arizonans who, while participating in a public event, designated to strengthen our democracy, so tragically lost their lives in a senseless act of violence last saturday. i also want to pay tribute to those 14 arizonans, including our dedicated and beloved colleague, and my personal friend, gabby giffords, who

were wounded. these americans all dedicated to freedom and all loving our country so much that they chose to use their sunday morning to participate in a public event to make their government better. recovering at different paces and with unique and different needs, the city of tucson, pima county, and the entire state of arizona assist and welcome these brave heroes back to our communities once they have reef covered. gabby continues to fight, literally fight, every minute, for her life. and we are all reaching toward our god in prayer, contemptation, -- contemplation, and whispers, in a unified effort to bring about a quick recovery and return to us here in this house of representatives. those who perished, dorothy

morris, gabe zimmerman, christina taylor green, dorwan stoddard, and john roll will be missed by their families, their colleagues, their friends, and all arizonans. phyllis schneck was described by her new jersey hometown paper as a lifelong conservative. yet she was there to seek gabby because she admired her. this is a perfect example of someone who wanted to step beyond the current vitriol in modern day politics and bring us together. dorothy morris was married to a former marine corps pilot who was also wounded and recovering. we all know the patriotism and love of country every spouse of a marine exhibits. and she was no exception. gabe zimmerman was one of us. a dedicated staff member to

gabby. it is said he literally lived to serve his community. sadly he perished but he perished fulfilling his calling and doing what he loved, helping the people of his town. christina taylor green was just start her political career. she had just been elected to her school student council and wanted to come see at the highest level. she wanted to see a pro so she came to see gabby. she was a special little girl who kept reaching for the stars and politics, dance, baseball, and whatever her heart desired. dorwan stoddard died shielding his wife who was also wounded but expected to recover. following their regular saturday outing, dorwan brought his wife to gabby because reportedly she wanted to tell gabby what a good job she was

doing. high school sweethearts who were reconnected after many years apart, they were a pillar of their church community and we know mazie will continue on. saddened and burdened, but hopefully not broken. finally, judge roll, had been working with gabby and several of us in the delegation for the past several months trying to make the courts in arizona more efficient and more responsive to both the victim and the accused. i knew him to be a fair, dedicated, charming professional and loyal person. he loved his family, he loved his profession, he loved his job, his community, and his country. arizona and the nation will be a different place without him. again i'm encouraged by the reports concerning all the wounded. these individuals are the perfect example of the strength of arizonans and all americans.

they will recover, we pray, and they will not shy from continuing to serve their community. this is most true for gabby. gabby is a special person among us here in congress. we all know that. we all love her patriotism, her bipartisanship, her willingness to learn, her dedication to give, her compassion for her job, and for each of us. and her spirit to continue striving to make the eighth congressional district of arizona and america a better place to live and work. hopefully it won't be much longer until we see her here, her smiling face with us again doing what she loved and working hard for the people of our country. our prayers go to gabby, all victims, and the families of the deceased. i reserve the balance of my time.

mr. flake: mr. speaker, i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from arizona, mr. schweikert. mr. schweikert: mr. speaker, it is with heavy heart that i come to the floor today to offer these thoughts on this tragic event this past saturday outside tucson. that took the lives of john m. roll, christine taylor green, dorwan stoddard, dorothy morris, gabe zimmerman, and phyllis schneck and gravely injured our colleague, congresswoman gabby giffords. it was just last week that my wife and i had the opportunity to visit with gabby in statutory hall before the ceremonial swearing-in. and as so many of you know, our interactions with her were gracious, energetic, and she was willing to help us as we were setting up our freshman office. we took a few photos, we talked

about ways we could work together, and of course we engaged in the banter and teasing of arizona's faste rivalry, a.s.u. vs. u. of a. gabby takes enormous pride in the job in representing the communities of southern arizona. and my wife and i send our thoughts and prayers to mark during this difficult time. we deeply appreciate the gift mark generously shares with all of us here in washington and back in arizona. it is also important not to forget the individuals who lost their lives or who were injured while they were exercising their right to participate and have a say in this republic. indeed, they became victims while exercising a fundamental right that has served as a backbone of this country since its founding. a right our nation's founders

sacrificed so dearly for. just as the victims this last saturday have tragically also sacrificed for. we are stunned by the tragedy, but we remain resolute in our commitment to assemble peacefully, engage civilly in the types of discourse that are fundamental to maintaining this republic. although words may not sufficiently capture the sorrow and grief we are experiencing, particularly in arizona, joyce and i send our thoughts, our prayers to gabby, mark, rocks an, -- roxanne, and john green, the parents of little christine taylor green, and the loved ones of judge roll, dorwan stoddard, dorothy morris, gabe zimmerman, phyllis schneck, the community of tucson and southern arizona, all arizonans, this nation.

our hearts are heavy but our prayers are with all of you. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back any time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from ohio. mr. kucinich. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. kucinich: we are one as we pay tribute to congresswoman giffords and all the other victims of violence in tucson. our gathering reflects the truth of america's first motto which is above this chamber, epluribus unum, out of many we are one. it is vital that we acknowledge our oneness. not just as a congress, but as

a nation and as a world. in that appreciation for oneness we find human sympathy, compassion, and love. it is an awareness of the imperative of hueman unity which can bring us to the threshold of understanding, our power to bring an end to the violence which is consuming our loved ones. it is an awareness of the imperative of human unity which can help us to create a new america. where the presence of violence is understood as a challenge to be met not as an unyielding truth of the human condition to be accepted. our hearts are open now as we recognize the victims. so let us be open to a new

direction where we and this nation can take an organized approach to deal with the causes of violence not just the effects. we are one with our sister, congresswoman giffords, and all the other victims. let us continue to be one with each other as we struggle to bring light to this moment of darkness. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. mr. flake: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from arizona, mr. quail -- quayle. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. quayle: i thank the gentleman from arizona for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 32, and to honor the victims of the senseless act of violence that took place in tucson on saturday. all arizonans and all americans

mourn the six souls that lost their lives. they will never be forgotten. they were model citizens, actively engaged in their community and with their government. just chatting with their representative on a saturday morning. that, mr. speaker, peaceful discourse and participation, is a precious part of our society and one of the things that makes our country great. we must not allow an act of violence to inhibit the preexchange of thoughts and concerns -- free exchange of thoughts and concerns. the six that lost their lives died because they loved america. they wanted to be involved in the process. in recent days we have heard their inspiring stories from family and friends. we shouldn't have to wonder what the future had in store for them. they are the friends, neighbors, and colleagues that our communities depend upon. mr. speaker, we pray for our friend and colleague, congresswoman gabby giffords,

that she survived her counts is a miracle, but no surprise to those who know her and admire her spirit, determination, and conviction. congresswoman giffords was a do your job to the best of her ability. she wasn't in an orr nate congressional hearing room on the floor of the house. she was back home on the sidewalk of a supermarket listening to the concerns of her constituents. that, too, mr. speaker, is what makes this country great, that, too, must never change. . in our great state of arizona, there's much to mourn after saturday's tragedy. but make no mistake, there are also many things that he list great pride -- elicit great pride. we're proud of the brave civilian and professional first responders whose quick response time and decisive action prevented more loss of life and greater injury. we're proud of the amazing work performed by the surgeons and

medical teams at the university of arizona medical center. whose skill and expertise shined during trying times. and above all, mr. speaker, we are proud of the six who perished and of congresswoman giffords, all of whom were simply doing their duty as good americans. they as active citizens and she as their worthy representative. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from michigan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. >> we all come together in the aftermath of the overwhelming tragedy of tucson. to remember all of the victims and also to fervently hope,

still in disbelief. mr. levin: our colleague, gabby giffords, epitomized what a public servant should be, fully dedicated, principled, caring and reaching out to all constituents and to all our colleagues. time will tell with clarity -- clarity exactly what are the appropriate lessens for all of us to learn -- lessons for all of us to learn from the tucson tragedy. in the meanwhile, our fow focus is indeed -- our focus is indeed very personal. in the holiday card that gabby sent to me she wrote her best wishes for a joyful new year and continued writing that we will have our work cut out for us. the new year is now far, far

less joyful. so our hope in the prayer we are sending with love to gabby and to mark is that gabby will be able to join us, as we take on the work cut out for us, to which gabby, you have devoted your whole self so fully. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman is recognized. mr. flake: i thank the speaker. let me say how nice it is to have you presiding, another arizonan controlling time on that side, and so many in the delegation here today, we are a close delegation. i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from arizona, mr. gosar. mr. gosar: mr. speaker, i stand

here today with a heavy heart as i give my prayers to representative giffords and her family. as well as my condolences to the other victims of the rampage in tucson. i speak not just for myself and for my family, but for the citizens of my district in arizona and so many others who are saddened and outraged by this senseless act. gabby is more than arizona's third female congresswoman. she is first and foremost an american who devoted much of her life to public service. there are risks with public service, we cannot deny that. but gabby has powerful beliefs and she came to d.c. to represent the people of her district and everyone knows she is tireless. gabby has the grit of a fighter and the tenacity of a woman on a mission. it is that heart and that grit and that tenacity that i pray will continue to serve her well and speed her recovery. i hope the day is coming soon that i get to greet gabby with

open arms and welcome her back to the floor of this house. there is so much that we have yet to do together for arizona, for this country. i look forward to working with gabby on the issues of our day and hearing her spirited voice. let me add further, the acts of a criminal will not stop us from meeting our people. we will not be deterred. we will not be intimidated and we will not abandoned the people of arizona because of the murderous acts of a deranged killer. gabby read the first amendment on the floor of the house just days before she was shot. that amendment provides that the people shall have the right to petition their government and give the people of this nation a voice to speak on the issues important to them. gabby did not just read the first amendment, she lived it. she was living it on the very day someone tried to kill her. let us continue to pray for the recovery of the wounded, let us

pray for the full recovery of gabby, let us pray for the families who lost a loved one, let us pray for the mothers and fathers who lost a child. and let us pray that god will continue to guide us in everything we do. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from michigan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor and offer prayers for my friend and colleague, congresswoman gabrielle giffords, her staff and all of the victims of the tragic and senseless shooting in tucson. mr. kildee: she is a brilliant and caring public servant. she loves this country as all members of congress do. at times like these, words are

always inadequate to express the full extent of our grief. what we can do is pray, reflect and seek to gain some meaningful perspective from this time of great sorrow. mr. speaker, this terrible act, whatever the cause, does violence to the democratic principles our country was founded on. as i pray for the victims of this terrible event, i also pray that our country can move forward from this tragedy with that love and respect that gabrielle giffords has for human dignity. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. mr. flake: mr. speaker, i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from georgia, mr. price. mr. price: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, tragedy is always

accompanied by so many thoughts and emotions and the irrational violence visited upon our nation last saturday in tucson brought a new wave. shock at learning the news of the carnage, incredulity at even the possibility of such a senseless act, sadness for those injured or killed and for their families, confusion by this inexplicable violence, anger at the lunatic responsible for this , inadequacy to combrehend the mind that conceives such an act, respect for those expert hands and minds working to heal the casualties, honor for those who sacrificed and helped in a moment of real crisis, hope for a full recovery for congresswoman gabrielle giffords and all battling their injuries,

recognition that life and liberty are precious and fleeting, love of our country and the blessing of liberty that we all enjoy, steadfast in our commitment to preserving our great nation, humbled by our mutual responsibility as citizens charged with that preservation, reverence for our lord, the only one who knows the answer to the why, and strength from his grace and his love and his mercy. and so we resolve to use this unspeakable and senseless tragedy as an opportunity to better ourselves as a people, to recommit ourselves to the tireless preservation of our republic, and to reaffirm those fundamental principles of liberty and american representative government. may god place his healing hand on all affected by this heinous

event and may god bless the united states of america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: mr. speaker, at this time i would yield two minutes to the gentlelady from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from texas is recognized. ms. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the resolution before us today. and think it is fitting and proper that we take this opportunity to pause and remember those who lost their lives and were wounded in the tragedy that occurred last saturday in tucson, arizona. it is really hard to comprehend how such senseless acts of violence can happen. and yet while we may not be able to fathom why this tragedy occurred, the harsh reality is that six innocent people were

killed, including a 9-year-old child, and another 14 individuals were wounded, including our own friend and colleague, representative gabrielle giffords. as we speak, she remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the university medical center in tucson, fighting for her life. those of us who know gabby know that she is a real fighter and that gives us optimism that the final outcome will be a good one that she will be returning to this institution that she loved and still fight for what she believes in. a number of my colleagues have spoken about the many ways in which representative giffords has touched their lives here in congress and i would like to echo some of those sentiments. as the ranking member of the -- on science, space and technology committee, i have been and seen firsthand the way they are passion, commitment and competence have been used to voice her help for our nation

and moved forward in a positive way. she's been very active as a member of the committee sponsoring and co-sponsoring many pieces of legislation relating to the research, innovation, space exploration, math and science education, they have included the solar technology road map act, the science parks research and innovative technologies act, the nasa authorization act of 2010, and america competes, as many other important pieces. she's been tireless in carrying out her oversight responsibilities. as chairman of the space and you are a astronautics subcommittee in the 111th congress, she conducted numerous hearings on a wide range of issues related to nasa, civil and commercial space activities, international corporation in space, civil engineering and aviation and observations, among others. her willingness to work hard, to

get the facts and exercise tough love on the agencies she oversees has earned her the respect of members on both sides of the aisle. in addition why she's not afraid to express her videos directly, she always has -- views directly, she has always done so with civility and grace. so, mr. speaker, congresswoman gabby giffords, the one i know and respect, we hope to see her return soon. it is still harder to me to comprehend that such evil could be -- could befall her and the other victims of last saturday. i know i speak for all members in saying that our thoughts and prayers are with each of them and their families. we look forward to the day when we can welcome ms. giffords back to the floor and join with her to do the nation's business. i thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. flake: mr. speaker, i yield two -- i'm sorry, such time as he may consume to the gentleman from texas, mr. sessions.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. sessions: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i join with my colleagues today with respect to the delegation from arizona who suffers and yet today comes to the floor of the house of representatives to do their duty. to the colleagues of ms. giffords who today join in support, not only in prayerful support, but as we stand together we speak clearly to say that the support for congresswoman giffords and all the victims of this tragic shooting and their families need to be remembered and we offer full support. i was deeply shocked and saddened by these heartbreaking events and i join my colleagues and i know all of america looked on tv on saturday as we all condemned not only in our own hearts but also as our families spoke around the tables about what had happened, we condemned the senseless act of violence.

congresswoman giffords is a dedicated public servant and has served the people of arizona for over 10 years. she was elected to the house of representatives in 2006, she's known as a steadfast leader in congress for her constituents. i would see her often on the airplane as we would travel back every weekend. she is known by each of us as a kind and wonderful person who serves with honor and who is very deeply genuine and a warm person with friends on both sides of the aisle. . all members of this body understand the high honor to serve our constituents every single day and i join with my colleagues in standing together today to guarantee that the inhumane acts of this saturday will not deter us from our duty. this heartbreaking event has left americans astonished and speechless.

those participating as members of congress today should stand up and say that we will stand behind gabrielle and look forward to her safe return to be with her colleagues. we offer our prayer for her support. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from illinois. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from illinois is recognized. ms. schakowsky: i'm very grateful to join my colleagues on both side of the aisle to -- both sides of the aisle to join with those who wanted nothing more than to participate in the simple but precious opportunity to meet directly with their congresswoman, gabrielle giffords. there will be time to reflect on potential remedy that is could prevent or diminish the threat that has so personally touched us all, but today i simply want to send my love to gabby and to mark and the rest of their family. we have all had the opportunity

to focus on you, gabby, the brilliant, effective, warm, courageous person, leader that you are. you brought us together to focus on just how meaningful your friendship is to us, to me. i also want to take this opportunity to thank my dedicated staff here in washington and at home in the district and all the staff that work with us. thank you for your daily efforts and sacrifices, the long hours, and the commitment to your constituents, our constituents. the tragedy of this event and the loss of gabe zimmerman and the wounded staff has brought home just how important you are to all of us and to everything that we do here. let us take this sad moment to seek peace and love, to honor those who were killed, and

fervently pray for those who were injured, including our beloved colleague, gabrielle giffords, and look forward to the day when she will return to us in full health. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. flake: mr. speaker, i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from texas, mr. carter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. carter: thank you, mr. speaker. i come to the floor today because about four weeks ago a plane coming back from washington, d.c., flying to dallas, where i changed planes, and also gabrielle giffords changed planes, was my first opportunity to interact with this young lady. i watched her work -- i watched her visit with the fellow travelers on the plane. she spied a couple of her constituents and talked with them. she visited with me. then was she shared a cart to

our changing gates, i was just touched by what a really, really nice person she was. we interact in this building and we have our debates and so forth, but i got a chance to just talk about family and talk about flights with a charming, intelligent, and quite honestly captivating young lady. and that's why i came down here today because you don't cross paths with individuals like that very often. and when you do, it's a blessing that comes into your life. and when i turned on the television and discovered that this blessing had been attacked by this vicious, vicious attack that took place in arizona, not only was this sweet life placed at risk, but a 9-year-old child was killed.

senselessly others were murdered, others were wounded on the streets of tucson in the united states of america at a congressional event. it makes you stop and pause and think. we have to get back together and work on these issues. we have to get civility into the world. and i am concerned about the violence, violence has entered our house and injured one of our own and killed one of our own. i hope justice is swift and i hope justice is severe, but as we go forward, we need to work together to secure not only this house but to secure this nation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from maryland. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from maryland is recognized. ms. edwards: mr. speaker, i rise today in honor and prayer

for our friend and colleague, congresswoman gabrielle giffords, a delightful personality, dedicated legislator, and powerful advocate for her constituents. sitting next to her on the sighons and technology committee, you only had to be there to know and feel her passion for nasa, solar technology, innovation, and research. it has rubbed off. as we pause to reflect on the terrible tragedy that took place in tucson, we know that congresswoman giffords was simply doing what she does so well, meeting with the constituents of arizona's eighth congressional district and hearing their different points of view. this is a sentiment that's reflected in congresswoman giffords' own words when she said, my position is to listen to my constituents, then ultimately make sound, rational decision that is are going to be beneficial for the eighth congressional district. that's my job. mr. speaker, i join the nation in expressing my sorrow for the senseless and tragic loss of life christina taylor green,

dorothy morris, u.s. district court judge, john roll, phyllis schneck, dorian stoddard, and gabriel zimmerman. and those injured including our friend and colleague, gabrielle giffords and her staff. we'll keep you and your families in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers, and we are deeply grateful to the heroes sung and unsung who showed great courage and sacrifice and continue to do so in caring for their friends, family, and community. to gabby, to mark kelly, her husband, her staff we pray that your burdens are lifted and that the dark days become light. may god bless you and strengthen i. may god bless this congress. and may got bless america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. mr. flake: i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from oregon, mr. walden. mr. walden: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise on behalf of the people

of oregon's second district to offer my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of saturday's senseless shooting in tucson. americans see each of us taking this personally because congresswoman giffords and her staff were doing what each of us does in our own way. we go home, we reach out to listen to people who agree and disagree, and we practice the art of democracy. it is the practice so fundamental to our nation that families bring their young children who are interested in public service. senior judges attend to discuss federal policy. citizens come to get help with their medicare or vare benefits. -- veterans' affairs benefits. no one comes, no one comes thinking such a despicable act of violence will occur. despite deep philosophical differences, sometimes argued vigorously and vociferously in our meetings, americans share a common belief that violence has

no place in democratic discourse. romans 12:1 paul writes, don't be overcome by evil but over come evil with good. we stand together across america committed to this calling and in the belief that the great good in america will always overcome the isolated evil. may god's healing hand be on our colleague and those affected and bring comfort to all. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized. >> i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. ms. harman: as gabby's colleagues, we all have had moments with her so many memories we recall vividly and calmly. for she she's an inspiring younger member of the house sisterhood, she is whip smart

and serious legislator. she's the kind of person we need so badly in this chamber, doing the people's business without rancor or vitriol. though the attack occurred in tucson, it was an attack on all of us and it strikes very close to home. just a week ago today i sat near gabby at a new democrat lunch in the capitol visitor center. the group was assessing the recent election and her contribution to the discussion was personal, impressive, and well delivered. but seven days is a long time in politics. and our world here is in upheaval. beyond the heroic efforts of tucson's emergency and medical teams, the f.b.i., and the capitol police, the alleged gunman must be fairly and swiftly prosecuted. but there is more. the congress family must take additional prudent steps to protect our staffs and constituents from random violence at our public events or offices. i serve here as we all do in

loco parentis and take this very seriously. finally we should revis it sensible federal laws to control access to guns and ammunition. at a minimum i believe we must promptly restore the expired federal ban on extended magazine clips. i personally would urge us also to re-enact the 1994 ban on assault weapons which i was proud to support and bar sales of saturday night specials. mr. speaker, we can't roll back last saturday, but we can and must learn its lessons. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. flake: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from wyoming, mrs. lummis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from wyoming is recognized. mrs. lummis: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this resolution. i rise to add the voice of the people of wyoming to the chorus of united americans reaching out in prayer to the victims in arizona.

and to the families of those whose lives were stolen from them. on january 6, representative gabrielle giffords took to the floor of this house and eloquently read to us the first amendment of our constitution, she gave her own strong emphasis to the praise that grants americans the right to peaceably assemble. two days later she and her constituents had their god given rights violently taken from them. in the midst of our national grief, the desire to make sense of the senseless is profound. we err if we attempt to rationalize what is wholly irrational and to understand what cannot be understood.

the apostle paul writes, now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror. instead, let us all stand with the gentlelady from arizona in her time of trial and defense of the constitution which she is striving to uphold. let us stand with our 9-year-old daughters who are fostering a budding interest in our representative democracy. let us stand with our 76 and 79-year-old mothers and fathers who seek only to forge a relationship with their elected representatives. and to impart a wisdom that comes with long life as a citizen of this country. and let us stand with our servant leaders of all ages and parties and who spend every day

in a passionate effort to better a great nation and beautiful ideal. we do them honor if we continue not with idle speculation but with a renewed commitment to exercise the right of liberty and freedom. we begin the long road to healing by fervently praying for peace in our world, peace in our country, and peace in our heart. god bless the victims of saturday's violence and their families. god bless america. and now may the peace of god which surpasseses all human understanding and all human misunderstanding be with us all.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. pastor: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from guam. miss bore calo: -- ms. bordallo: mr. speaker, i rise in support of the resolution today and to honor the six individuals who lost their lives. my friend and my colleague, gabby giffords, who is currently fighting for her life, and the 13 other wounded victims of saturday's tragic shooting in tucson. gabby zimmerman, federal judge john roll, dorothy morris, phyllis schneck, dorwan stoddard, and the innocent 9-year-old christina taylor green, all who passed away on saturday in such a senseless act of violence that was a direct attack on our democracy.

. being the extraordinary public servant she is, gabby had taken her first opportunity in the 112th congress to organize an event, to learn of her constituents' concerns and their hopes. the victims had all peacefully gathered at a local mall to participate in the democratic process. the basic exercise of democracy was interrupted by a disturbed individual bent on anger at the system. this needless and despicable act of violence has no place in our society and should give us all cause to reflect on the level of political discourse in this country. but while we recognize the tragedy that occurred and pray for the quick recovery of those injured and those who died, let us not overlook the many acts of bravery and heroism of those on

saturday. as we piece together the events of last saturday, my thoughts and prayers go out to gabby and the others who had been killed or injured, and let this tragic event serve as a reminder of the obligation that we have as elected representatives of the people to be responsible in our leadership and be careful of the words that we choose. i will keep the victims and their families in my thoughts and prayers and i know that all of my colleagues will do so as well. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the leader is recognized. mr. cantor: i thank the speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the -- on h.res. 32.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cantor: and, mr. speaker, it's now my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from florida for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker, and i thank the leader for the time. just a few days ago one of our own, congresswoman gabrielle giffords, was gravely injured as a result of a terrible act of an unbalanced individual. americans were profoundly shocked and saddened and continue to be, this deplorable act of violence which resulted in the unjust deaths of six innocent individuals and a struggle to survive for others including our own gabby. for those who lost their lives we know that the list is lamentably long, the honorable john roll, a federal judge who went by just to say hi to his friend gabby, and christina taylor green, a 9-year-old girl who had just been chosen to serve in her school's student council and who was taken to gabby's congress on your corner

event by a family friend who wanted to get her interested in public affairs. and gave zimmerman, a member of gabby's loyal staff who had an enormous heart and was recently engaged to be married. it is difficult to make sense of this tragedy but all americans stand with gabby, with her family and the families of all the victims throughout this painful time. many of us count gabby not just as a colleague but as a friend. i had the privilege of getting to know gabby as a -- gabby as a member of our foreign affairs committee. she has always demonstrated a strong commitment to serving her constituents, the men and women of our armed forces and our nation. and that is exactly what we must do, we must not waiver in our duties -- waver in our duties to serve those who we are proudly and yet humbly asked to serve. our republic was founded on the premise that the people have the right and the duty to petition their representatives and to

express their views. and gabby truly embodies that principle. she has always been accessible, she's always been eager to listen to her constituents. representatives like gabby are what have made america an example of freedom and democracy the world over. it is truly reprehensible to think that these noble intentions were exploited to carry out such a terrible tragedy. to quote dr. martin luther king, we must disagree without becoming violently disagreeable. the thoughts and prayers of the residents of florida's 18th congressional district are with gabby's family and with the families of all those affected by this senseless tragedy. i thank the speaker and i thank our leader for the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back and the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. pastor: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. chu: mr. speaker, i rise

today to honor the victims of the tucson shooting, including our colleague and friend, gabby giffords. i have seen gabby's commitment and dedication to her constituents firsthand. i've had the pleasure to work with her as we promoted efforts to restore our nation's competitiveness and specifically to help create clean energy jobs. gabby is smart, courageous, disciplined and effective. ms. matsui: and as we have all seen over the last few days, her strength is unwavenering. last saturday gabby organized an event to talk to her constituents about their priorities, about their concerns and their hopes. it is heartbreaking and a tragedy that six innocent people lost their lives and an additional 13 have been critically wounded, all while trying to participate in and strengthen our democracy. we are all now reflecting on what brought our country to this point and how to move forward.

as everyone in this chamber can attest, being a representative is more than a job title. it is what we do and it is who we are. we meet with our constituents, we listen to them, we advocate for their best interests. mr. speaker, i'd also like to take a moment to honor the other victims of this horrific tragedy. 9-year-old beautiful christina taylor green, recently elected to student council. gave zimmerman, a dedicated staffer who was just on the cusp of his own life, recently engaged. judge john roll, highly respected judge who came by to thank gabby for her support at the judiciary. phyllis schneck who was a tireless volunteer at her local church. dorwin stoddard who shielded his dear wife. and dorothy morris who was

married to her husband a long time, who was there but who survived. my thoughts and prayers remain with gabby and with each victim and their families. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i yield to the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized for two minutes. mr. guthrie: thank you, madam speaker. i appreciate the opportunity to be here, to offer my thoughts and prayers for gabby, our colleague. like all of us here, any interaction i've had with her was always pleasant and memorable and i look forward to her returning, pray for her return, pray for her staff and pray for the other victims. i want to hold mr. upton: one victim this morning. i didn't know dorwin stoddard but through a close network of friends i've had the opportunity to learn a little bit about dorwin stoddard and he's the one that shielded his wife with his own body, saving her life but

losing his own. and he and his wife were having breakfast and decided they wanted to go to the congress on the corner to give gabby encouragement for the new year and the new year in congress, to encourage her. he loved the bible, he loved the scriptures in its simplest and purest form and wanted to live them which is evidence in his life. he's very involved in church work. he ran the benevolence program which lived up to christ's challenge to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. and we know he internalized the scripture because of his last act. of his last act. and i don't know this, but i think i can say without fear of contradiction there were many times he's probably sitting in church waiting for the minister to deliver a sermon on marriage and i'm sure the text was one when it said, husband, love your wifes as christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. what love he had for his wife and what faith he had in god. thrulte his life, he aspired to

-- throughout his life he aspired to do good. through his life, let us all inspire to do our best. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for two minutes. mr. green: madam speaker, today we are one and we are resolute. we are one because we understand that there really is but one race and that is the human race. we are one because as dr. king put it, all of humanity was created by one common creator to live in harmony from a base black to a treble white, we are one and we are resolute. we are resolute in our belief that one day our friend, our sister will return to the floor of this congress, to this hall, and she will stand at this podium and she will be welcomed by her colleagues as she returns

and takes a rightful place in the halls of the congress of the united states of america. we are one and we are resolute because we believe that an innocent baby was taken from us and that innocent baby, though she is not with us in the physical, she will forever be with us in the spiritual as long as we remember who she was and never forget that we cannot allow the innocent to be stolen from us without our taking the time to pause and be grateful for the time that we had with the innocent. we are one and we are resolute. but we must also be resolute in a basic premise that dr. king called to our attention and that is that we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or we will perish together as fools. we are one and we are resolute. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: thank you, madam speaker.

i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from minnesota, mr. paulson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized for two minutes. mr. paulsen: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in contribute to my friend and colleague, representative gabrielle giffords, one of many victims of a very senseless act of violence this past saturday. i've had the pleasure of knowing gabby and her husband mark, astronaut mark kelly, for several years, even before either of us set foot in this chamber. in my district office there's a photo of gabby, myself and others who were part of a fellowship program which was created to explore the responsibilities of public leadership, advanced thoughtful, civil, bipartisan dialogue and help america's leaders achieve their full potential. gabby is so much about all of these ideals. i found myself looking at this photo over the last few days quite often and i couldn't help but think that all of our communities could use a few more individuals like gabby whose bright smile and kind heart have come to define her tenure here in congress.

for many of us here today, the news of the tragedy was gut wrenching. it's hard to believe that just a few days before this senseless attack, my family and i were out visiting at the air and space museum at dulles airport when we heard someone shut out my name. it was gabby's husband, mark, with gabby and her parents in toe and we spent the next several minutes talking and as friends often do recalling some of our good memories such as when i joined gabby with two of my daughters at one of mark's space shuttle launches in florida. over the past few days there have been many moving tributes to gabby and all of them are true. she leads by example with her fighting spirit, her diligent work ethic and friendly, constant smile and it's my hope that we can follow in gabby's footsteps over the next several weeks and as hard as it may be, show the same bright smile and kind heart that she has shown all of us. my thoughts and prayers remain with gabby and her husband mark and their family.

gabby's staff and all of the victims and their families as part of this tragedy. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from tennessee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for two minutes. mr. cohen: thank you, madam speaker. i am a member of the class of 2006 which representative giffords was a member of. we had the opportunity to go through orientation with her, meet with speaker pelosi on many occasions and share many activities. gabrielle giffords is a tremendous member of this house, bright, caring, beautiful and we all pray for her recovery and that she comes back and works with us. i listened to her remarks on television when she talked about words having consequences and her brother-in-law who is up in space saying the same thing and it's true, words have consequences and we all need to

be more concerned about how we speak about political opponents or people who have different perspectives than we do on political issues. we're all americans, we're all human beings and we all have similar goals and similar aspirations and even though we may differ on philosophy, that doesn't make us communist or socialist or whatever. we're all trying to make this government work and one thing that we know about the person who did this shooting, beside the fact that he needed mental health treatment, was obviously crazy, was that he didn't like government and government's good and one thing we should learn from this is that the government can be and is a good force and it's a lot about what america is and people who tear down government are doing a disservice to all of us and they provide an atmosphere to where people think that anarchy is an answer and it's never an answer or neolism is a philosophy that

ought to be followed and it isn't. . the staffers who were there working on weekends, as many staffers do when they work long hours, they love government, they love people, they try to make a difference. so i think we just need to remember we are all human beings, we all have similar goals and aspirations and government can and is good and it's the representative body of the united states of america. if you don't like the government, you don't like the country, and i love the country and so did gabby. thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i now yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. mccaul: thank the gentleman. we gather here today in the house, in this house and as a nation to mourn the tragic events in tucson, arizona. to honor those who lost their lives and those still fighting for them. to honor the heroic acts on that dark day and to condemn the perpetrator for this

senseless act of violence. the last few days have been surreal. when i first heard the news, i was shocked and disturbed. that one of our own had been shot. someone i'm privileged to call my friend and a colleague. and as the speaker said, when one of us is attacked all of us is attacked. this experience has been painful to all of us and hits too close to home. professionally, i was fortunate to have worked with gabrielle giffords, or gabby, as she is affectionately called. we both serve on the science and technology and foreign affairs committees. she is passionate, bright, and a delight to be around. gab -- gabby is a talented lawmaker who always work effectively across the aisle to get things done for the american people. i was honored to have been one of those she chose to work with. she always told me, arizona and

texas are sunshine states and we need to harness that energy. i agreed with her. and together we introduced and passed the solar technology road map act. she often talked about being from border states and that we needed security to protect our way of life. we passed the $600 million appropriation for more resources on the worder -- border. as everybody knows she's a staunch advocate for nasa. and she's married to a astronaut. she passionately defended the space program and we worked together with many others to save the human space flight program. in fact, the last time i saw gabby a week ago, we were getting off the elevator over there to vote on the floor here, and we talked about nasa and she said, in her classic way, yeah, but, we can always do better. that was her spirit. we can always do better.

and we often talked about putting together a delegation of witnesses -- of members to witness the last shuttle flight, one that her husband, mark, is commanding. i hope we will still have that opportunity. so when i received the news that she had been shot, it had a profound and personal impact upon me. for above all she is my friend. she's a bright ray of sunshine in what is too often a dark world. coming out of a tough election, she often talked about moderation and toning down the partisan rhetoric to get things done for the american people. i know that it is her sincere hope that as her wounds heal, so, too, will the wound inflicted upon this nation. and that the political discourse in this country be restored to one of civility. i pray for her and all those affected by this horrible tragedy. i pray that one day she will

return to this floor and join her colleagues. and i'm confident that she will. for above all she is a passionate fighter and an eternal optimist. so keep fighting, gabby, for we need you and more people like you in this world. may god bless you and may he hold you in the palm of his hand. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for two minutes. mr. crowley: thank you, madam speaker. i thank my friend from arizona for yielding to me at this time. first i want to recognize and give thanks to the leadership of the house, in particular nancy pelosi, and more so this morning to speaker john boehner, for this beautiful resolution that we have before us today. i said on sunday that his remarks were appropriately

brief. when he said, attack upon one of us is an attack upon all of us. it could not have been better said in reflection upon what took place to our country on saturday. judge john roll, gabe zimmerman, christina green, dorothy morris, phyllis schneck, and dorwan stoddard all were taken from us too son by a depraved individual. i want to take a moment to also mention the wonderful staff of gabby giffords. i had the opportunity on saturday afternoon being in washington to stop by her office and immediately was moved by the palpable sense of love and affection that was throughout the room. not only for gabby but for all

the victims, particularly their fellow colleagues. i also want to take this opportunity to thank all of our staffs, who many of us in congress may take for granted, the tireless work in their efforts to serve the people of our constituency and great country. not always reflecting upon sometimes the danger that we can avoid. gabby giffords and i go back even prior to getting elected i had the great opportunity to endorse her early in her primary because i was so moved by the moxie and strength of gabby giffords when i visited arizona. she often would say to me when she was around mark, mark always tells me, joe crowley, i'm his second favorite member of congress and you are the first. she said that i think she knows how i was unabashed about my

admiration for her. mr. pastor: i yield an additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has an additional 30 seconds. mr. crowley: about my admiration for her. the last conversation i had prior to this incident was last friday when she asked me could i chair the new democrat task force on energy. she was trying to convince me somehow that i had to let her do this. and i just said, gabby, you're not a freshman member of the house. yeah, you're going to do that. don't worry about that. but she was always trying to convince -- she's a star. we know it. every member here knows it. democrat, republican. this woman has something that many of us wish we had. that is it's an inner beauty. if it could take something away from this event, tragic event, aside from the issues of rhetoric and gun control and mental illness which we do not give enough time to in this

country, this woman and what she reflects upon this institution. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i now yield two minutes -- three minutes to the gentleman from texas, mr. gohmert. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. gohmert: thank you, madam speaker. gabrielle giffords is always a bright spot in this rather dull, moody, self-absorbed body called congress. she's easy to work with no matter which side of the aisle we happen to be. we all find ourselves being criticized, but few of us have been able to respond with the grace and the class with which gabby has. today we mourn the loss of all those killed during the evil shooting spree in tucson. i know we are praying for the victims' families that somehow through their devastating loss and heartbreak they may still

find that peace that passes all understanding. for those who have survived the assault, may they find healing in the shadow of the almighty. hearing so much these days about the need for congenial discourse, we might look at gabby giffords as a living example of how we go about disconcerning -- discerning the road map to get to desired decorum. i'm sure both sides of the aisle wished the other side worked with others as well as gabby does. she makes people here in congress smile just by showing up. her bright student from washington, d.c., often had us on the same flight. gabby knows i love chocolate. when she sees me on a flight she always lights up and says something like, louie, i was hoping you'd be on my flight. i need some chocolate.

gabby always finds something for which she can look forward. our prayers remain with her. this is no time for assigning blame to anyone but the gunman. this is a time to note the positive influences from those who were harmed. this is a time to note and perpetuate the good that their lives have so that they live on whether their heartbeats or not. this is a time to learn from gabby who has a heart that both still beats and still inspires. we can learn from her attributes and her ability to smile even at those of us with whom we disagree. as we pray for the opportunity

for her smile to regain its vitality so she can go back to spreading her sunshine to all the places that need it. may god bless gabby giffords and all those who are suffering because of this heinous attack as only he knows the most specific needs. may god further provide the comfort and peace that only comes from the embrace of his almighty arms. and let me just close by saying when i see her again i'm going to have plenty of chocolate just for her. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the assistant to the leader, mr. clyburn. the speaker pro tempore: mr. clyburn is recognized for two minutes. mr. clyburn: thank you very much. i thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. madam speaker, in the book of mica -- micah the religion that gabby practiced raises a

question, what did the lord require you to be? and the question is answered in micah 6:8 to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. i cannot think of anybody who i ever served with who personified that passage more than gabby giffords. in my faith i practice faith which is found in the book of luke, the 10th chapter. for we get the story of the good samaritan when the question was asked of the lawyer who wanted to know what was required to have hive everlasting -- to have life everlasting, in answer the

master said to him, love thy neighbor as thy self. gabby giffords is our neighbor. not just here in this body, but she is our neighbor on this great planet. because we learn from that story that being one's neighbor is not the dependent upon one's religion nor is it dependent upon one's ethnicity. being one's neighbor is dependent upon whether or not we had the capacity to show compassion. gabby giffords is our neighbor and i'm pleased to honor her today. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. cantor: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. lance. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from new jersey is recognized for two minutes. mr. lance: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in support of the resolution. we come together to extend our thoughts and prayers to those who were killed and to those who were wounded during the horrific attack in tucson on saturday. as we gather in the people's house we pray for the recovery of our colleague, representative giffords, and the others who were wounded, including those who served the public in the congresswoman's office. . we mourn the loss of judge roll, and the 9-year-old girl, christina taylor green, and the others who were senselessly killed that terrible morning. while the horrific events in tucson provide a stark reminder of the fradgeilt of human life we are also reminded that we meet on the floor of the house of representatives in what

franklin roosevelt and more recently george w. bush have called the warm courage of national unity. we have heard the inspiring stories of those who -- whose selflessness protected the lives of others. violence has no place in the life of the american nation. this tragedy will strengthen, not weaken, our resolve to serve the true principles of democracy. may god bless those who are fighting for their lives as a result of this attack and may the souls of those had who were lost -- those who were lost be received in his loving embrace. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. >> madam speaker, last wednesday

this nation and the world witnessed the orderly transfer of power in this house when nancy pelosi passed the speaker's gavel on to speaker john boehner. that simple act occurred without violence, it occurred without soldiers in the streets or a massive show of force by the police. for most americans, indeed for most people working in this building, the day was rather ordinary. mr. schiff: our lack of political violence, our tradition of resolving policy arguments in the legislature and courtroom is one of the greatest gifts that the founders and all of the generations that follow them have left to us. but as we were so cruelly reminded last saturday, our peaceful civil discourse can never be taken for granted. it is a gift that must be safeguarded. last saturday our colleague, gabby giffords, set up shop outside a local safeway in tucson to engage her constituents, to perform the central role of representative democracy, listening to the people. the hatred contributed by the

would-be assassin before and during the shooting were an assault on that connection between those of us who are have -- who have the honor to serve and those we represent. my heart goes out to gabby, her staff and family and the friends of john roll, gabe zimmerman, phyllis schneck, dorothy morris and christina taylor green who was born on september 11, 2001, and who deserved a longer life than this. and to gabby, and her staff here in the gallery today, there is one day that we look forward to above all others and that is the day that gabby walks back onto this house floor and stands before this podium and is recognized. we know that they will -- that day will come and we pray that it comes soon. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i now yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, mr. poe.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. poe: madam speaker, it was a saturday morning, clear skies and a wonderful day. and gabby giffords was doing what really she liked to do best, what many of us like to do best, talking to people that we represent and listening to those people back home. friday before she left for tucson and i left for southeast texas, we were talking here on the house floor. gabby and i are friends. i have been to iraq with her and we were talking about border security. in fact, she had invited me to tucson to see what takes place there and go to the border. i likewise had inveeted her to texas to see our border and we worked quite well together. she works with everybody quite well. then she was off to the airport, going home. many people don't realize that most members of congress, we go

home every weekend. we don't live in washington, we work in washington. and we commute. and she was headed to the airport, excited to go back and see her people that she represents. and then saturday morning an evil doctor came to a public gathering, attacked gabby and he really attacked our nation because there was a crowd of citizens, old and young, that were peaceably assembling to learn more about america. to participate in the american process in dealing with their representative, gabby giffords. we should remember the victims that were shot and killed that day, the evildoer, his name is not important. he should be held personally accountable for his actions, his trial should be swift, if convicted his punishment should be severe. but it is the victims that we honor, that we remember in this

cruel episode of evil. you know, christina taylor green, 9-year-old girl, just elected to the student council in her third grade class, she liked politics, she wanted to be more involved and that's why she was there saturday morning with gabby giffords. she was born on 9/11, a 9-year-old girl, her life stolen in her youth. all of us who are parents, grandparents, we never want to see our child or someone else's child taken before their time. but that's what happened to christina taylor green. apparently a wonderful, wonderful young person. you know, gabby giffords is a fighter and she fights for her beliefs, make no question about it. everybody who knows her knows where she stands on issues. my grandmother described her

years ago without even knowing it, my grandmother, probably the most influential person in my life, my friends on this side of the aisle would appreciate the fact that she was a yellow dog democrat and never for gave me for being a republican -- forgave me for being a republican, but she made a comment about people like gabby. she said, there's nothing more powerful than a woman that has made up her mind. gabby giffords is that woman. she's made up her mind -- mr. cantor: i yield the gentleman from an additional 30 seconds. mr. poe: she's made up her mind about her beliefs, about her will to represent the people in arizona and i believe she's made up her mind to survive because only 5% of gunshot wounds to the head, those people survive, and she will be one of them. and so we recognize her, we honor her and we look forward to seeing her on this house floor again, being that strong-willed woman, that feisty woman from arizona. and that's just the way it is.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield -- two minutes to the gentlelady from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from texas is recognized for two minutes. ms. jackson lee: i thank the gentleman for yielding. congresswoman giffords loved america and she loved america's values and america blessed her with opportunities. american values give us all the opportunity to do our best and to be our best of the last saturday congresswoman giffords was at her best, meeting the people of arizona, of tucson, and the united states of america. but congresswoman giffords would also asks to do our best and as the bible has said, she was a woman who used her talents well. she would also want us to acknowledge the americans who have poured out their hearts during this tragedy all over

this nation and americans did their best saturday and good americans lost their lives being good americans. we know of those who lost their lives and offered to us a sacrifice. christina taylor dwreen, dorothy morris, john roll, judge roll, phyllis schneck, doris stotard and -- dorwin stoddard and gabe zimmerman of her staff. we're well aware of what happened and we say that congressman giffords, keep on fighting for your life, along with others who are wounded, while the heroes of that day, mr. hernandez and others, reflect on the horror. but hopefully they know that they did their best. now it is time for us to do our best, to be a servant leader, giving to others first, showing by example. it is so very important that we do so in her name. to captain kelly, a brave american and family, we stand by

you, we stand by your side. you will not stand by yourself. the congresswoman giffords staff, we stand with you, and we pray for you and your loss and those who are wounded. we are committed to both our freedom of expression and our job to create a more perfect union and, yes, in the words of scott kelly, as i offer them today, mark's twin brother, we have a unique vantage point here aboard the international space station. as i look out the window i see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful. unfortunately it is not. these days we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we can inflick upon one another, not just with our actions but also with our irresponsible words. we are better than this. we must do better. i agree. we can do better and we can follow these words. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. ms. jackson lee: which cuts without wounding and ennobles

the man who wields it. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield an additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: an additional 30 seconds to the gentlelady from texas. ms. jackson lee: i thank the distinguished speaker and the dear friend from arizona. nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles a man who wields it as a sword that males -- heals. let us use nonviolence in our expression, let us denounce violence and as martin luther king would tell us, that we can be a people of peace. i know that we know the words of jon lennon, let it be, but the truth will let us be free and i look forward to the gentlelady from arizona, tucson, being here with us. god bless you and god bless america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from ohio, mr. turner. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio for two minutes is recognized. mr. turner: madam speaker, i am saddened to take part in today's tribute to our colleague,

gabrielle giffords. who was so senselessly shot this weekend. her outreach coordinator, gabe zimmerman, who was killed in the line of duty during the incident, two other staff who were wounded while supporting the congresswoman, and all of those who were killed, wounded and impacted by this terrible tragedy. congresswoman giffords was performing the most fundamental duty of a member of congress, listening to her constituents. all members of congress take the roll of being -- role of being an advocate for their constituents seriously. for congresswoman giffords, it's promoting solar energy production to boost the local economy, or being a voice for military families and working to secure the border with meck could he. today i stand -- mexico. today i stand here to say, not as a republican or a democrat, but as an american, that violence has no place in our society and i wish and pray for peace and justice for all of those who have been involved in this tragedy. my thoughts and prayers as well of those of my family and the people of ohio's third district

remain with congresswoman giffords, her staff, her constituents and their families. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from american samoa. the speaker pro tempore: two minutes to the gentleman from american samoa. mr. faleomavaega: madam speaker, our hearts and prayers go out from our colleague, gabby giffords, and her constituents and fellow americans who died as a result of this tragic incident, several others who were injured and wounded at this time. we also pray for god's good grace and comforting spirit to be upon them as well. i deeply appreciate the initiative and leadership of both parties to bring this resolution to the floor for consideration. not only to give special tribute to our colleague and friend gabby giffords, for her courage and commit thement to public service, but to also give us all an opportunity to seriously reflect on what we need to do to

change the atmosphere, if you will, of what we do and say not only among ourselves but to our fellow americans throughout this great nation of ours. i'm not much for giving speeches, madam speaker, but today i felt it was important that our friend and colleague gabby giffords needs to know how much we all appreciate her friendsship and admire her character and her courage to be an example of what true public service is about. one great lesson i learned from gabby giffords is her comment that words do have consequences. and i've also learned a couple more phrases, cut the rhetoric, let's lower the temperature in our discourse with one another, and there's also an island expression that goes like this, while rocks and stones may deter or erode, words never die. i pray we will find that balance and move our country forward to solve the problems our country

is greatly confronted with at this time. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i now yield three minutes to the gentleman from indiana, mr. pence. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for three minutes. mr. pence: i thank the distinguished majority leader for yielding time. i would ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pence: like every american i'll never forget where i was last saturday. my wife and i were shocked and saddened when we learned of the attack on our colleague, gabby giffords. gabby is a hard worker, talented legislator. as has been said poignantly on this floor, so much better than i've been able to today, a dear person and unique individual who is universally liked in the house of representatives. we're praying for her recovery

and the recovery of all those injured and the comfort of the families of the fallen. i rise with gratitude to the leadership of both parties for the -- for moving this thoughtful resolution to the floor. today the american people speak with one voice. we will condemn these unspeakable and evil acts. we will remember the injured and lost and we will gently reaffirm our ideals. this act was an unspeakable act of violence and those responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. but as we mourn with those who mourn, two words of gentle admonition, first, we cannot fear free assembly because of the facts of a single assailant. we live in an open society and enjoy representative democracy under our constitution. our system depends on regular and informal contact with our elected representatives and

neither the public nor its servants should be dissuaded from persuaded in public assembly because of the despicable acts of a single deranged person. lastly, i understand the pain that saturday last has caused for so many in this body and around the country but we cannot fear free and open debate. democracy depends on heavy doses of civility and as my colleagues know, i've always sought to model that on the floor and elsewhere. we should refrain from engaging in personal verbal attacks with those with whom we differ. but let me say, we must also resist in the moments of heart wake the temptation to assign blame to those with whom we differ. no expressed opinion, on the left or right, was d to the blame for saturday's attack and

we must resist efforts to suggest otherwise. because to do so has the potential to inhibit and erode our freedom. so we rise to mourn with those who mourn to grieve with those who grieve. we cannot fail to be moved by the tragic events in arizona. we must not fail to pray earnestly for all those affected and we will not fail to defend our freedom lest it be one more victim of the horrific events in tucson on saturday last. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: i yield go minutes to the gentleman from new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> the outpouring of support from every corner for the victims of the attack in tucson has been overwhelming and

inspiring. it is on behalf of western new york that i offer our prayers on behalf of my friend and colleague, gabby giffords, and my sympathy to the family and friends of gabe zimmerman, dor -- judge roll, dorothy murray. some say it is violence-themed rhetoric that added to this attack. undoubtedly, our debate could benefit from more light and less heat. but this attack was scarried out by a man who appear tors mentally ill and we may never understand why it is he did what he did. our best response to the atrocity is to reject fear and intimidation and embrace the work in our communities with joy, openness and dedication. that is the type of public

service gabby believes in and i urge my colleagues to follow her example. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from minnesota, chairman of the education and work force committee, mr. kline. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. kline: saturday was a dark day for the residents of tucson, arizona, and our nation. in the blink of an eye, the lives of men, women, and children going about their daily routines were forever changed. one troubled, twisted soul robbed six innocent individuals of their lives and cast ta dark shadow over a fundamental right of our democracy. the exchange of ideas between a representative and the community she represents. madam speaker, in an effort to find meaning in this tradge dirk it is tempting to assign blame or draw conclusions in support of a larger pattern.

but what we witnessed this weekend is void of rationale. we must recognize the disaster for the senseless act it is, but we should not stop there. as the men and women rerepresent mourn those who were lost and rally to support a brave public servant who is battling for her life, we in this body have a responsibility to lead the way. we must demonstrate our resolve to continue the important work of listening to our constituents and legislating on their behalf. we must press on, undeterred by panic, in carrying out the work we have been elected to do. we must demonstrate that america is strong. her institutions are unshakeable and her people are brave and determined. madam speaker, i join my colleagues in expressing condolences to the family and friends of the victims of this tragedy and sending my prayers to our colleague, gabby

giffords, in her time of need. may she find the strength to recover and join us in leading the way forward. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady in minnesota. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. mccollum: madam speaker, this house, this entire nation extends our support, love, and best wishes to our colleague, representative gabrielle giffords. to all those wounded in saturday's shooting. we also mourn the deaths, the tragic, senseless deaths of six americans who were participating in street corner democracy with their congresswoman. my minnesota constituents feel pain and loss inflicted by a few seconds of gun violence.

the st. paul constituent visited my office on monday and wrote a note to congresswoman giffords. the note said, quote, i pray for your recovery, i want you to be strong and continue to be the fighter that you are, so you can continue to serve the people of america. i, too am praying for your gabby, for mark, for your family and for all the families who are in pain and those in mourning. such unspeakable acts of -- may such unspeakable acts of violence nend this country and may all americans find the stronte live in peace. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, it's now my honor to yield to the majority whip, the gentleman

from california, mr. mccarthy, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. mccarthy: i thank the gentleman and madam speaker. a short time ago, after elections 2006, i came in that freshman class. as members know, when they come together the election, you come together. you're meeting people from across the country. i remember that class, there's a lot of different people but gabby's smile she has lights up the room. she didn't sit back to wait to talk to everybody on different sides of the aisle she did it as she's done every day on this floor. walked up, introduced herself and said, how can we work together? when you look just last week, gabby standing here, reading the constitution, the first

amendment, going home doing what she's done many times before, listening to her constituents. what all of us do. what has transpired, we cannot let happen. we cannot be deterred just from that same aspect that gabby gives us strength as she fights right now. we cannot forget those that lost their lives. we cannot forget the federal chief district justice john roll. gabe zimmerman, working for gabby's staff. 9-year-old christina taylor green. being elected in student council, just wanting to meet her representative and a neighbor taking her down. also, from dorothy murray, dorwin stoddard, phyllis schneck, doing what every american has the right to do,

to give their opinion. that's what this floor has to be committed to. that's what this floor has to continue to fight. that's what gabby continues to fight for. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. garamendi: madam speaker, on behalf of the men and women of the 10th congressional district, i rise in support of this resolution and bring to this floor their condolences and prayers for the six who were murdered in tucson and for gabby a and -- and her speedy recovery. patty and i send along our own special prayers and condolences. for those of us who have had the privilege of working with gabrielle, i add my own special thoughts.

i came to the committee on science and technology where she was the chairwoman of the subcommittee on space. and immediately saw her incredible intelligence, her charm and wit as she conducted numerous hearings and came to understand her commitment to america's science and technology and space as she led our committee to the re-authorization of the nasa programs. i look forward to her speedy recovery and her return to this floor where she can once again provide her talents and leadership as she would once again lead us in our efforts to bring about a better understanding, not only of the space and this roll of our planet in the cost moss but also our -- in the cosmos but also our personal understanding of each other and our constituents.

it's a sad day on saturday and it will be a bright future when gabrielle returns to this floor. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, it is now my honor to yield to the chairman of the republican conference, the gentleman from texas, mr. hensarling, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. hensarling: i appreciate the gentleman from virginia, the distinguished majority leader, for yielding. madam speaker, i haven't come to the house floor with any prepared remarks. frankly, i'm not sure my vocabulary -- i'm not sure my thoughts can do the moment justice. i would say in the victim that we know, congresswoman giffords, gabby, that there is a -- if there is a sweeter a kinder a more gentle member of

the house, i know not their name. so many of us consider her to be a friend. i think if there was a poll of members of the house, she would probably be voted least likely to offend any human being. which makes this incident, this tragedy, so unfathomable. we all pray for her full recovery. this house is not whole without her smile, without her voice, without her presence. madam speaker, i did not know gabrielle zimmerman, but i know a -- i did not know gabriel zimmerman, but i know a lot of great young people who decide to dedicate themselves to

public service and work on my staff and i know how they are part of my extended family. i didn't know dorwin stoddard, phyllis schneck, dorothy morris , but their -- they're parents, they're grandparents, they're spouses and we think of our own family. i didn't know judge john roll but again, somebody who committed their lives to public service, and last but not least, i don't know christina taylor green, i didn't have that pleasure. a 9-year-old child, thrilled to learn about our representative democracy, and brought down in an act of evil. i never met her but i think about my 8-year-old daughter and i think about my 7-year-old son

and how they learn about their father's business. and so all of us come together in this time of mourning but this time of resolution. we mourn the loss of these great american citizens but we resolve that the representative democracy that -- democracy, that the traditions of the house will not be a casualty of this tragedy. the people's house will be open. the members representative will be accessible. it can be no different in this country. mr. cantor: madam speaker, i yield to the gentleman an additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has an additional 30 seconds. mr. hensarling: we cannot allow the tragedy to be compounded by changing the way we conduct the people's business. this cannot happen. and so we come here today to mourn but we come here to be

resolved that this individual whoist responsible for a heinous, evil act -- who is responsible for a heinous, evil act will not succeed in interfering with the people's business in the people's house. god speed in her recovery to gabby, our colleague. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from new jersey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for two minutes. >> i ask to revise and extend my remarks. i thank the gentleman. madam speaker, we come to the floor with respect, compassion and, yes, love, for those who have lost loved ones in tucson last saturday and for those who are recovering from the physical and psychological wounds. we also come to pay tribute and show love and send our best

wishes to representative giffords. and to mark kelly. mr. holt: i hope they feel our love. our colleague is a beautiful person and everything one would want in a congressional representative. thoughtful, engaged, compassionate, optimistic and a genuinely good person. we also recognize those who responded, staff members, quietly going about making democracy work, bystanders, medical responders and surgeons, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. this hits us on more than a personal level, though. each year there are many thousands of americans felled by gunfire. each is a personal tragedy to the victim's loved ones. the tucson shooting strikes a blow to our ability to govern

ourselves. to maintain a peaceable society. you know, the rights to assemble peaceably and speak freely are not preserved just for their own sake but as the geniuses who established this country recognized it is true to those rights that we can create a society that protects and extends life, liberty and happiness. there are lessons to be drawn from the events about our understanding of people with mental illness and their screening and treatment. there are lessons to be drawn about our gun-crazy culture. there are lessons to be drawn about the ever-present inflammatory, dehumanizing rhetoric. but let us defer those discussions for the moment and recognize that we are a strong and prosperous and supportive country because of our representative democracy and our freedom to assemble and speak. may i ask an additional 30 seconds? mr. pastor: i'll yield an additional 30 seconds.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is given 30 seconds additionally. mr. holt: let us in congress not withdraw, let us hold more outreach, more town halls, more sidewalk office hours. and let us in the words of representative giffords deliver here on the floor of the house. let us agree to forego some of our individual interests and intemple rans to allow the space for open dialogue, debate and discussion. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: madam speaker, now my honor to yield to the chief deputy whip on the republican side of the aisle, the gentleman from illinois, mr. roskam, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized for two minutes. mr. roskam: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the leader for yielding. you know, one of the old untold stories of the house of representatives is the connections that representatives have with one another that really never show up except among ourselves.

i had a unique connection with gabrielle giffords, i still do, and that is we were both invited when we came in in this class of 2006, we were both invited to participate one-on-one or two together in a series of interviews that was hosted by national public radio, the show, "all things considered." i had not met gabrielle before that, we started a dialogue and i really enjoyed that and i found that she had this very refreshing and windsome approach to how she would handle herself and conduct herself. so it's really no surprise to me that we're here hearing hopeful news about her medical condition based on a disposition of perseverance. and i thought that the conversations that i was involved with her brought a brightness to public life. and brought something that as i heard from constituents that would listen to her, they would say to me, i can see how you would like serving with people

like that. and that is sort of the lost lead, i think, in some ways about the house of representatives. we were heartsick on saturday when we heard that news. i know many of my constituents who are to their knees in prayer for gabrielle and for the victims of that shooting. and so i think as we all reflect on the gift that we've been given, we have a great example in gabrielle giffords of somebody who understands the nature of democracy and a real willingness to serve. and we wish her the very best and pray for her complete recovery. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona. mr. pastor: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from colorado. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized for two minutes. mr. perlmutter: i thank the gentleman from arizona and, madam speaker, i had the opportunity to know gabby before we were elected to the congress. she was in the state legislature in arizona, i was in the state legislature in colorado.

she was one of the youngest people ever elected to the state legislature there in arizona and she's been a friend of mine for some time now. and i'm having a hard time processing what actually occurred last saturday to her and to those other people. our prayers obviously are with her, with the families of those who were murdered and for the swift recovery of everybody who was injured in that shooting. i rise in support of the resolution and i thank the leadership for bringing it. second paragraph of the resolution says, whereas on january 8, 2011, an armed gunman opened fire at a congress on your corner event hosted by representative gabrielle giffords in tucson. and i want to explain what it was that she was doing. because it's at the heart of our democracy. we've heard about it from other speakers. but the congress on your corner, i could something similar called the government in the grocery,

other people do something like this, it's about listening to your constituents. it's about being in a less formal setting than on the floor of the house of representatives or in an assembly hall, but where people feel comfortable talking about to you. so fortunateble and this was so successful that she had the -- so successful that she had the little person, a 9-year-old, to the most powerful in the chief district judge john roll coming to a very informal setting at a grocery store, to talk about america, to talk about their hopes, their desires, their concerns. this is what it's all about. this woman was conducting something so essential, if i could have another 30 seconds? mr. pastor: i yield an additional 30 seconds. mr. perlmutter: something so essential to the fabric of our democracy. and to the grocery stores and the coffee shops and the flee

markets, those that provide these venues where people feel comfortable to come and express their views, just thank you. i do these every other saturday. we obviously have to work with the different grocery stores and law enforcement to see if we can continue to operate in these fashions. but this is what it's all about. gabby giffords is as good as they get. we pray for her speedy recovery and we thank her for her service. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: thank you, madam speaker. it's my honor to yield two minutes to the chairman of the rules committee, the gentleman from california, mr. dreier. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. mr. dreier: thank you very much, madam speaker. and i appreciate our distinguished majority leader for yielding me this time. obviously this is, as everyone has said, an extraordinarily challenging time for this institution and we have to remember that this institution

is the people's house and so by extension this is a challenging time for the united states of america. when we think about the victims, ranging from age from age 9 to 79, and when we think about our colleague who is at this moment wounded and recovering, it is, as my friend from colorado has just said, extraordinarily far reaching and we need to expend time and energy soul searching and i think that last saturday's tragedy is going to lead all of us to do that. i do believe that engaging in civil discourse is something that is essential and i believe it's what our framers wanted us to do. i regularly say in this house that james madison wanted there to be a clash of ideas and i think that we need to make sure that that continues.

but at the same time i think it's important for us to remember that we're not dealing, based on every shred of evidence we have now, with anything political as to what took place on saturday. as george will said over the weekend, there are 308 million americans and a few of them are unhinged. and we need to remember that. but while we remember that, i think it's imperative for us to do everything that we can to remember the responsibility that we have, to remember the great people who are public servants and serve as our staff members and are regularly on the frontline, and to do everything that we can to ensure that as we procede as an institution, that we do our job and as speaker boehner has said, don't do anything that will imping on our responsibility to the american people. our thoughts and prayers are with our colleague, gabby giffords, and with all of those

who were victimized last saturday. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. who seeks recognition? pursuant to clause 1-c of rule 19, further proceedings of this resolution will be postponed. and pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the house will stand in recess s there will be no recorded vote

on the resolution but a chance for members to pay tribute. pictures now outside of gabe rell giffords' office where members have been file big and paying tribute, her office in the longworth house office building on capitol hill. also in the rotunda of the cannon house office building two books where capitol staff and members of the public can come and offer their best wishes for the victims. earlier today, house minority leader nancy pelosi was one of those who came to sign the book. this was the scene as she arrived.

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>> that from earlier this morning. a live picture as we transition over to the cannon house office building as people continue to come to write their messages of support and encouragement to the victims of last weekend's shooting. again the house is in recess attending a 1:00 p.m. private prayer service, to once again get under way at 1:00 to honor

those affected by the shooting. members expected to return at 2:00 p.m. for more tributes on the house floor.

>> and from the cannon house office building, we go to the capitol visitors' cent every where the prayer service is being hold. members are filing in now. service is set to get under way at 1:00,, it's a closed service, but again we can show you the scene as members are arriving. also, there's a table set up for members to sign a tribute book for condolences and well wishes for those affected by the shooting in arizona.

>> again, live pictures from the capitol visitors' center this afternoon where members are arriving for a prayer service being held in tribute

to those members and victims who were affected by the shootings in arizona. we're going to go back to the cannon house office building where we still do have members signing and -- members of the general public coming to sign some of the tribute books that have been there in the rotunda.

>> and back to the capitol visitors' center where we continue to see members arriving for the private prayer service being held for those affected by the shootings in arizona. a quick note, president obama will be traveling to tucson, arizona, for a memorial event for the victims of the

shootings. a live picture if the tarmac at andrews air force base where the president will be departing at 1:00, he's expected to arrive this afternoon, the memorial is expected to begin at 8:00 p.m. eastern and we'll have live coverage of that here on c-span. >> back now to the cannon house office building, again, we'll be transitioning between these two or three different scenes as we look at events surrounding the shootings in arizona and members of the general public coming to sign tribute books that have been set aside for people to come and sign and pay tribute to those affected by the shootings.