presidencies. she was a great girl, and everybody loved her. >> i want to thank our guests for this program on jane pierce first and harriet lane. both of our guests have books available l where you can read more about these first ladies. one is "remembering the ladies," and "first ladies, an intimate portrait of the women who shaped america." fork you to both of you being with us, and thank you to all of you for being our audience this evening. ♪ [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013]

>> next week, mary todd lincoln. in remains a central figure our country's history. she was a political partner to or has been endured a loss of three of for four sons. -- her four son. we will travel to her childhood home in lexington, ky.

the lincoln cottage here in washington, d.c., where she spent time with their family during the tumultuous years of the lincoln presidency. eastern on at 9:00 c-span and c-span 3 and on c- span radio and c-span.org. our website has more about the first ladies, including a special section, welcome to the white house. it chronicles life in the executive mansion during the tenure of each of the first ladies. presenting a biography in portraits of each first lady, comments from historians, and thoughts from michelle obama on the role of first ladies the lot history. c- available for $12.95 at

span.org/products. c-span, created by cable companies in 1979, brought to you by the public service by your television provider. >> a ceremony to honor gabriel zimmerman, the aide to gabrielle giffords. the in the weekly addresses from president obama and south carolina senator. the discussion on the future of the civil rights movement. was al zimmerman congressional aide to gabrielle giffords. he was killed in the tucson shooting in which the congressman was wounded. five other people were also killed that day. on tuesday, a room was

dedicated to zimmerman in the u.s. capitol and visitor center. this is just over an hour. afternoon, everyone. welcome to the united states capitol. before begin begin our program, -- before we began our program. and joinld rise together in a moment of silence for the victims of this attack.

thank you. resolution house 364, the visitor center room 215 of the capital visitors center has been designated to gabriel zimmerman. we've placed a commemorative plaque. this is dedicated in the memory of gabriel zimmerman, who was shot and killed serving the people of arizona. out his duties as a native of gabrielle giffords. his dedication inspires all of us to love each other as a fellow human beings and assistance of a caring nation. we're honored to be joined by the vice-president of the united states. we're grateful for the members of congress who are here. his colleagues, friends, and

loved ones who made it possible. with us today are gabrielle giffords and her husband mark kelly. theuld like to invite father to come up and give the indication. >> let us pray. all and sourcef of eternal wisdom, you or the life of the jest. your servant gabriel zimmerman lived in a large world, loved his family and friends, yet chose to serve you by helping many others through service in government. as we gather now, we remember the constituent whisper whose

love of our world and all of its people was an inspiration to those with whom he worked. we ask your blessing as we dedicate this space in memory of honor in hiso to name all who serve faithfully in the work of congress as dedicated staff to our elected representatives. they are gathering be a worthy testament to gabe, who is sorely missed still. you to you for giving a such a noble soul. amen. if everyone will remain standing and join me in the pledge of allegiance. 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 the liberty and justice for all. i know the word bittersweet is on all of our minds today. be asrd historic should well. in the the first room visitors' center to be named in honor of an individual. it is the first room in the entire capital complex to be dedicated to a staffer. this is not the space we use for ceremony. people come here for meetings, the kind of assemblies -- assemblies gabe would have planned as a staffer. there is a plaque here which

speaks of a young man who sets out to make a difference many times over. it can only say so much, especially in this case. his colleagues and fellow staffers know why this is. they know he would not have counted on all the hours that he gave to the people, but they helped. he would not have tracked the extra calls he made, the free time sacrificed. they know he would not have bragged about his successes, and he would not announce them because that is the code of the staff and the democratic process. it is there a line of duty. we should pause and be thankful for the on some professionals -- unsung professional sustain this institution. will the staff members present raise your hands and you

recognized by all of us? -- and be recognized by all of us? [applause] to all who serve. made this room stand as a marker to our capacity to give and to care and to love. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i want to echo that our thoughts and prayers are with the people boston today and in the difficult days ahead. the boston marathon is an incredible marathon for the thousands to run it each year. today, many of you here bostonian are incredibly strong and was down with them united and ready to help the family and friends of the victims.

noted,rogers famously when i was seeing scary things minutes, my mother would say to me, look for the helpers. in times of such inexpressible crisis, we are grateful for all the land a helping hand to those in need. these men and women are not as public servants, they have made helping others their life's work. gabriel zimmerman was one of those people. always looking for ways to help others. january 8, 2011, was a day that shocked a nation. when tragedy struck the community in our country in tucson, ariz., that took the lives of six people, including one of our own, the hard-working devoted staff to our friend gabrielle giffords. gabriel zimmerman served as his

community -- assur community outreach director. having had the privilege of meeting him several times, i would agree. working as a community outreach director married two great passions, his drive to help individuals and a firm conviction that america's government needs to be open, accessible, and responsive to every american. we any member of congress, will tell you is our community outreach director. these professionals listen each and every day to the concerns of our constituents, their problems, their complaints and a work to help them. the hours are long, nights and weekends are sacrificed to attend community meetings. the capital community comes together to honor the service and sacrifice a member of our family. to the family and friends of

gabriel zimmerman, thank you for sharing gabe with all of us and the people of arizona. we gather here today to recognize his commitment and my if and to making others' lives better. he would often put in extra hours and was known to pay at his own pocket for porous pooer uents -- constituent bus fare. they told me when i visited after the shooting that he was always excited to come to work any chairs the ability to work for a member of congress who he so admired. his co-workers called him prince charming because he was always there for him, always ready to come to their rescue. tragedy tragically, this public servant, a true missionary of our representative democracy,

made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. to name this theressional meeting room gabriel zimmerman meeting room. this drama is frequently used for staff meetings of every variety -- this premise prickling used for staff meetings of every variety. the naming of this room can about the passage of a bipartisan resolution. 400 members of coast -- as co- sponsors. today, we honor the lives of -- the life of gabriel zimmerman and we recognize all congressional staff working in

every corner of our great nation. from now on, each time we enter the gabriel zimmerman meeting room, let us be reminded of gabe and his devotion of service. privilegeleasure and to welcome the vice president of the united states, joe biden, to are gathering. [applause] >> the events that brought us all together today are shrouded in tragedy, but in coming together we celebrate gabe. we are all traveling on the path to healing. we are naming this room as a tribute and as a gift to gabe

and to those who are tragically wounded into those who lost their lives in the tucson shooting. in ending this space, gabe is giving us a gift, too. his presence will remind everyone who walks these halls that the meaning of duty and of service. , it seems to a cause we will have more to be grateful for. two of my staff members worked -- they worked closely with gabe. they shared with me their thoughts about him. me, we and julie told cannot remember when i first heard the phrase, what would gabe do? it is a standard that has endured. he was a stafford and we all strive to be. he cared for everyone and you wanted to save the world one

constituent at a time. he was called a constituent whisperer because of his uncanny ability to connect with our friends and neighbors in our home state of arizona. arizonan through and through. the very same could be said fir gabe, -- for gabe. my thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family. your brother, your friend is leaving an enduring legacy that will inspire all who worked here for generations to come. >> we are here today in the presence of gabe's family, his

friends and former colleagues. a few of us got together and it was like a high-school reunion. people came together to remember this incredible young man. until his untimely death on january 11, -- january 8, 2011, he was and still is beloved by so many people. none of us, all of us wish we were not here today. to celebrate a great life, a life that was well lead, but ended way too soon. he led his life with joya and passion, curiosity. he cared deeply about his family, his fiancee, his friends and community. of strongly held

convictions and principles. those convictions and principals were instilled in him by is family. he was my right hand guy, he was the first person we hired when i was a district director. we worked side by side to set up the office. i called it a transition office. he called it a transition closet. it was a tight space. we hired the staff soon after the election in 2006. the people of arizona and have been so well served because he saw out staff who knew how to do

casework, many of them with social work background. we hired the best to do the best for the people of arizona. many of those staff are with me now and his legacy of public service continues through them. just a comment about that staff, many of whom are in the room. buthink gabe hired well, when you looked at what at staff did in the aftermath of the shooting, he hired incredibly well. they were back to work on monday after the shooting on saturday and held up maintaining the services of that office and i am so proud of all of them and so many of them are working with me directly. constituents came to the office a little bit upset, they were calmed downdown by -- by gabe.

he did so well. on the day of the shooting, i am told, he saw a heated conversation occurring between people of color opposite ends of the political spectrum. abd calmed them down. his kind spirits and desire to help people informed every interaction he had. he was a favorite of the seniors to live in green valley. [laughter] the retirement community in our district. i would show there from time to time and they would always ask, where is gabe? , buts a gracious young man he was very handsome as well. he was a congressional staffer

that all staffers wanted to emulate. he had enormous faith. that is why it is so fitting to ave a room named after staffer here in the capital. i know this room is not just to he would want to honor all of the public servants. it was my great privilege to work alongside him. he was a dedicated public servant, determined to make his community better. he was also the guy i called when i could not figure out what to do on my computer, which was practically every day. he would. the doorway and the computer would be fixed. he did not even have to do

anything. as we remember and celebrate his spirits, i cannot think of a more fitting tribute than to name this room for him, a room where staffers gather every week to discuss how we can better serve the people that we represent. thank you for being here today. it is bittersweet, but i am so glad so many of you came to celebrate this incredible young man. to invite to the podium at my former boss, a woman who was a great inspiration to all of us. probably know that he was fiercely loyal to the congresswoman. is accompanied here to the podium by her husband. and gabrielleelly

giffords. [applause] clucks mr. vice president, thank you for being with us today. mr. vice president, thank you for being with us today. we're honored to be here with you today on this very important day. , -- thank youker to the members of the house, senate who helped make this dedication possible. to be true to history, it was your staffs who really made this happen. [laughter] oftenorld where staff are

admonish for a track in -- attracting credit, let me formally and officially say, on behalf of gabby and i, thank you. against all odds, there would be a real and permit day space dedicated to one of your own. dedicated tospace one of your own. the only been in the capital named for a staffer. as you know, gabby has trouble speaking as well as she used to. some days are better than others. some occasions are harder than others. she asked me to speak on her behalf today. if she could, she would keep you here all day -- >> all day long. >> talking about her friend gabe. gabe worked on her first

campaign in 2006. lot ofd gabby had a incredible experiences together that range from inspirational to hilarious to horrific. gabriel zimmerman and gabrielle giffords also shared an name and. gabriel is translated into a strong man of god. in the bible, gabriel is the angel assigned to be god's message bearer. cabrioles mama always thought it was a fitting name for her daughter from a very young age. i only had the privilege of wasing gabe briefly, but he certainly a message bearer. as the young boy, he was asked to write a bit about himself for a school project. these words are now engraved in the memorial at the zimmerman in

southern arizona, a place he loved. gabe whenitten from he was 12 years old. happy, athletic, outgoing, original. loves sports, it's family, and hepizza. needs sports, a family, and friends. ideas.help, loss, who would like to see no hunter, nuclear bombs. as a grown man and colleague, his role was to bring a message of peace and calm to our constituents. he was called a constituent whisper because if there was ever a grumpy or agitated

constituent at the office or at an event, he was the only person that could figure out how to control them -- and sold them. he had a gift with people. they saw that in each other and truly inspired one another. he was trained in social work. his entire mission in life was to take care of other people. to enhance their well-being. elevate service to others above self-interest. involved inen very the current discussion about whether everyone should have a background check before buying a firearm. or just some people. in the realm of that discussion, some people say that a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun. i always remind people that there was a good guy with a gun that morning.

in the chaotic 15 seconds that unfolded for 33 rounds were shot, he did not have any time to react. i made an effort to understand as many details of that date as possible. it was no surprise for me to learn that immediately after the shooting started, gabe ran and the other victims and the shooter and towards danger, putting himself in service to others was his on this earth. he is an inspiration, a constant reminder that being the service is a gift and the work of representing citizens of this country is noble. he worked hard at that and he took hejoy in it, too. this room will always remind us of his devotion and i hope for

many generations remind members of congress and their staff that his determination to hear the voices of his fellow citizens and to do everything in his power to ensure that their government was responsive to them and this will guide their leadership. god, willtrong man of continue his message of service. thank you. >> good afternoon, everyone. as everyone was singing the praises of staff and justifiably so, i was thinking about talking about my staff and making me ollow mark kelly and gabe rell -- gabrielle giffords in this program.

mr. speaker, thank you for making this day possible. debbie and senator, congresswoman, madam chair, thank you for leading the way on the legislation that made this day possible. actually, i know that the staff was a moving force in making this happen but i can just tell you, watching congresswoman wasserman schultz on the floor, i'm surprised that instead of 400 co-sponsors, we didn't have 500 co-sponsors, she was relentless in making this happen for gabe but also because she knew how much it meant to gabbie and to mark and to all of us here. vice president biden you honor us with your presence, it means so much to have you here. congresswoman giffords, mark kelly, we've already acknowledged leader cantor, whip hoyer, i see kristen sinn ma,

representative from arizona, here today. other -- kirsten sinn ma representative from arizona -- sinn ma -- sin ma representative from arizona -- synema, representative from arizona, here today. words are inadequate to console the loved ones of those lost at the boston marathon and that can be said of every tragedy, including tucson but we will do what we can to care for them. we will pray for the recovery of the injured. we are grate to feel our first responders for the medical care, we offer our supports as americans and as members of congress and we'll ensure that justice is done. on january 8, 2011, another tragedy struck the hearts of our nation in tucson, arizona. for emily nottingham, for ross zimmerman, for gabe's family,

friends, and loved ones, january 8 20 11, will forever be a day defined by grief and loss, by anguish and shock. for members of congress and our entire nation and our staff, that date will be seared into our memories as a moment of extraordinary sadness and almost despair. yet at the same time, january 8 was also a remind over the -- of the courage of our colleague, congresswoman gabbie giffords. of the dedication of gabe zimmerman. his fellow staffers and local residents of the beauty of democratic engagement, of public officials saying connect -- staying connected to people we are elected to represent at that supermarket meeting. those memories remain fresh in our mind with the dedication of the gabe zimmerman meeting room, those memories will officially have a place for admiration and

capitol. the the reason this is the first an is because there was agreement there would be no naming of rooms in the visitor center. in dedicating this room, we do more than simply reebb -- simply remember, we honor the ideals of service, that was what gabe was about, dedicated to service, a tribute to his family, and to the son and grandson they raised. as his mother emily said, it's not his work but his ideals that should be honored here. gabe went to work that day for the same reason he went to work every day, to reach out to constituents, serve the public,

it was part of his ongoing daily effort to make a difference, whether to veteranseeking benefits they were owed, to families facing foreclosures or seniors who lost their security checks. he was a welcome sight in that community. it's the same thing he had done throughout his all too short career as a social worker assisting troubled youth and as member of the board of several community organizations in tucson. that was his work, those were his ideals. now as congress reviews the best way to prevent gun violence, we appreciate the work of vice president biden, who honors us with his presence here today. he his a deep understanding of these issues and is leading the way to measures that will make americans safer and families more secure. gabe zimmerman's story reflects a stirt of -- spirit of service shared by thousands of individuals serving as congressional staff, hundreds of

them present here today. indeed, in honoring fwabe we recognize all of them for their hard work, dedication, all of you, for your hard work, passion, and dedication. in years to come, visitors will come to the capitol, see the name on the door and say, tell me about gabe zimmerman. i think we should tell him that this isn't called the gabriel zimmerman room, it's called the gabriel zimmerman meeting room a place where people come together to meet, in the spirit of gabe zimmerman, we will have a meeting of the minds to make a difference to the american people. hopefully in this meeting room, we will be meeting the standards of gabe zimmerman. we'll be meeting the ideals his mother talked about. he will constantly be an inspiration to us. that's what we'll tell people when they ask us, tell me about

gabe zimmerman. and though they may not know him now by name, they will know him by his service and his leadership. today we continue to pray for emily, ross, and the entire zimmerman family. we hope it's a fert to you that so many people appreciate that gabe has been the inspiration he continues to be and that he will be forever remembered in the capitol of the united states. thank you. [applause] >> mr. speaker, madam leader, members of congress, staff, mom, ben, losing a brother is a very difficult thing. beck yirks our heart gos -- goes -- to you and grandpop it's

you, probably more than any other people in this room today can understand how the people in boston feel today. you know, lots of times we are but more our victories often we're united in our tragedies. it gives you a window into how difficult things are for the people. and no parent should have their child predecease them. and no parent should be in a position where their child is taken by a violent act. i say child, knowing he was a fully grown man. it doesn't matter. it does not matter. in my case it was a baby, in your case it was a grown man, it doesn't matter.

as a matter of fact it may even be harder. it may be harder. and you know, all those folks up ,n boston who were witnesses of as many were with you, gabbie, a horrific event that did such damage to you and the people you a -- o your staff, it's we don't know the details yet. i started an early morning meeting late last night at the time of the event, the only thing i can say for certain with all our domestic as well as foreign intelligence folks, we will find out what happened. who did this ut

and we will bring them to justice. we also know something about us s americans. we know something about bostonians. that in the most difficult times, that's when we stand closest together and it's out of tragedy that we grow stronger. i know that sounds so hollow to say to you now, i remember my mother saying, after i lost my wife and daughter, my mother is a gentle, sweet, old -- not old at the time, a young irish lady, she was compassionate, she cade, joey, if you look hard enough, something good will come out of verything bad. we will come out of the attack in boston stronger, and believe it or not, you will be stronger.

it's in your bloodstream, pal. he's part of you. there's no way, there's no way it ever goes away. i was elected to senate when i was 29 years old, i was often mistaken for a senate staffer. literally, i was told many times, these elevators are reserved for senators. they knew i was a senator when i opened my mouth and nothing sensible came out, they knew i couldn't be a staffer, i had to be a senator. and that goes for congressmen too. staffers, staffers. guess what. as john says, senators are a different category. i think that's -- i don't know.

all i know is that old joke, walk over -- a walk over here is twice as long as it is on the way back. look, folks, all of us who serve here, have been elected here, it's so trite to say it, but you know, there's no possibility we can do our job without the gabe zimmermans, not the remotest possibility. i also the, i don't know what my fellow congressmen, members of congress, would say, but i used to find that when i was chairman of the foreign relations committee, the foreign relations staff thought what they did was very important. they were very special. and i used to make my staff, literally, my d.c. staff have to come and spend a week in delaware doing casework to understand why i get elected. to understand who pays their salary. why it matters.

why it matters. and you know, as pointed out many times, this is the first time in history any room in the capitol has been named after a staffperson. but it's appropriate. because all of us know that there's no way this place can function without you. you know, i always would say, and i'm sure my colleagues agree with me, the single best buy, the single best tax dollar spent is the brainpower, the patriotism, the dedication, the service, and the results that come through people whose names they never know, staffers. almost every one of you in this room could be doing something else, making a whole lot more money. so many of you graduated top of

your class. so many of you, i remember feeling self-conscious, i stopped hiring rhodes scholars after it got to seven and i realized how ind adequate i was. -- inadequate i was. but all kidding aside, these are the applications we get, people who work for us, and with us. so it's appropriate, it's appropriate because there's no way this place could function without incredible staff. and you know, nancy was right, people will come in the room and kid're going to -- we don't each other, they'll say, gabe zimmerman, who was he? it'll be a staffer who will tell them. tell them who he was and why this room was named after him. because what is this democracy,

it pt one big conversation, is constantly rubbing up against, one conversation up against another, to generate some kind of consensus. we are so diverse, we are so lotejes now, without this system would be like -- so heterogenous, without this -- we would d be fall apart. i was instructed by the congressman, this about celebrating gabe's life, as his mom and dad wanted. you know what? it's his life we're choosing to remember and a life that sounds almost hollow when we say devoted to service. it's a trite phrase. but it's simple. worry about the guy next door. worrying about the guy down the

street. worrying about when you walk into the drugstore to pick up your prescription as a young staffer and you find some guy fumbling around to figure out if he has enough money to pick up his prescription. going to the gas station saying, it's on empty, i can't fill it up, i put five gallons in, because i can't fill the whole tank. somebody who gets a call and says, mom died and johnny's in afghanistan, how can i get him home? how can i do that? is it possible? you the, i notice most of you, you don't do it because you're paid to it. you do it because you really want to do it. ou really want to do it. gabe, like my daughter, was first and foremost a social worker, i'm going to save the world. i get a phone call from my

daughter, my people who are my people? these aren't about policy, it's about people's lives. he was a social worker and he was devoted to gabbie personally and to her staff. he was gabbie's voice like most of our people back home are. they're our voice. that's how we g judged, they don't get to see us all the tile. -- all the time. they see our staffers, the reflection of who we are. these two are cut from the same cloth. people understood gabbie, she was all over the district. but they understood her because they understood gabe. he spoke for her because he could speak for her. he knew her heart. he was her voice at home. he was driven by a social conscience, i didn't know gabe, i just know gabes. up here. go gabbie well.

i'm told he was driven by a social conscience, the only thing he ever wanted to do was somehow make people better. i thought that, at the trailhead that was read what he wrote, my god, 12-year-old kid or 10 or 14 or 25 for that matter, kid writing that. it's obviously what he wanted to do and he obviously did it. you know, even the day he was killed, it was pointed out to me, i hope you don't mind if i repeat our conversation, i called and asked ron about it and he said, all i can remember, gabbie went down and as i was going down, i saw this figure between us. and the last thing i remember he was way back, he said the way we set up, i'd be by gabbie. and gabe would be out there

making sure that everything was in order. it's not hyperbole, i guess, that he didn't run away from the fire. e ran into the fire. pretty remarkable kid. pretty remarkable kid. gabe's selflessness in my view was manifested by his courage. that's the ultimate kt of selflessness. as my mom used to say, the greatest of all virtues is courage because all others are built upon it. by all accounts, and i say that because i don't want to pretend i knew gabe, by all accounts this was an incredibly remarkable kid and he wasn't a kid, he was a grown man. now every time, as i said, someone walk into this room,

somebody is going to say, when they say, who is gabe, they're going to tell them about you. they're going to describe many of you. they're going to describe how there are works, how so many damn good people in this country who want to serve. you know, they're going to be reminded that when we walk in this room, i served in the senate for 36 years. when we walk in this room, we're reminded about why we ran in the first place. sometimes you forget when you're here too long, or even if you're here a short timeful we ran because we said we wanted to serve. we ran because we said we would listen. we promised to listen. we ran because we told our folks back home that we would tell them the truth about what we believed and we would stand by

what we ran on. there's no secret that sometimes all of us lose sight, hopefully only temporarily, of why we ran. gabe obviously didn't forget why he wanted gabbie to run and why he stayed while she ran and why she stayed. and i don't know that you staffers know this, and it's no different at the white house, been there going on five years it almost always the new kid on the block in the staff that goes, but i thought you said tissue i'm serious. i thought you said, i thought you were going to -- isn't that why you did? the more honorable and decent

and noble you are, the more impact you have on your member, no matter whether they're left, right, center, because everyone who ran here, every congressman, every senator, they ran because they actually believed in something. they believed they wanted to change something. they wanted to make something bet . we disagree on what constitutes better, but that's why they ran. and so, emily and ross, gabe was stolen from you much too young. but he's been stolen from you doing, as trite as it sounds, the work of democracy. what is the ultimate work of democracy? a beautiful, bright congresswoman with a talented, well-educated staff, outside a grocery store standing there,

ready to have people tell them how good they were and how stupid they were. how positive they thought about them, how negatively they thought about them. ready to listen. ge that constituent their best judgment of what they thought should and shouldn't be done. it is good at meetings, sometime it's a tongue lashing. but every once in a while it's someone making you realize why you do what you do. so folks, thank goth there's so many of you, maybe not as courageous, counting myself or others as gabe but there's so many of you. there's to -- you're so talented, so good, so decent, so committed. that's the only way this place functions. nancy always tells me and john always tells me, this is the

people's house. this really is the people's house. i was proud to be a senator, with all the time, but this is the people's house and every two year you go out to your bosses and make the case why they should have you back for another two. that's how the system works. but it only works with young, smart, talented people who really care. father, you've got got quite a flock here. good people. and gabe was the best among them. thank you. >> on behalf of all my colleagues, it's my pleasure to wok to the podium, gabe's

parents, ralph zimmerman, to be followed by his mother, emily ottingham. >> it is very nice to see all the people who gabe was so fond of here and some other people who are very involved in the affairs of our nation. i was not going to tell any stories but you triggered a couple. and i will say, there is a strange and surreal component to this because of the events in boston. as some people here know, i've run countless marathons, gabe and i ran across the grand canyon a couple of times, so the incongruity, the horror

of that situation is something that really caught our attention yesterday. i certainly want our leaders and our law enforcement to do everything necessary. but i must tell you a couple of gabe stories before i go through my remarks. the first one being triggered by ron's comment about computer support. this will tell you how dedicated gabe was to his job. when i first told ben, his brother that gabe was computer support for his office was, dad, you've got to be kidding. and -- because fwabe was not computer technical, especially, but the point is, somebody needed to figure out how to do it this people in the office needed help so he did it. the other thing i wanted to mention was a tale of courage. the -- not exactly gabe's

courage. the -- there was a shooting in southeast arizona, a rancher was shot, there was a great furor over it and gabrielle decided she needed to meet with the ranchers in that reason, speak with them directly and understand their concerns. gabe was talking to me about the preparations for this. and i listened for a while and said, son, these people are very upset. it's awfully brey of you and your boss to go talk to these people. and he said, actually, dad, i recommended against it. it's her idea. and it went very well. and they appreciated it. and that's just the kind of person gabrielle is. [applause] on january 8, 2011, any son gabriel directed the congress on -- my son gabriel directed the

congress on your corner for gabrielle giffords and the citizens of arizona. when chaos broke out, he rushed to help. we know the outcome, that's why we're here today. at this capitol build, flags at half-mast to honor the first staffperson killed in the line of duty. several memorials were proposed, all good ideas, but the one that carried the day was the naming of this room in his honor. many people here today carried this idea forward, we thank you and we thank the house of representatives for the unanimous vote in support of gabe's legacy. some of us felt strongly we wanted the best possible image of gabe on the plaque you see on this wall. the architect of the capitol's office, and tim reid in that office, were patient and supportive when we took the project back home in tucson

where his family and friends could help. after months of collaboration with the sculptor, we arrived at a representation that resonated for many. two years ago, i sat in front of the capitol, looking at the glow of the dome, with gabe's fiance, kelly who by the way dragged him through his first marathon when he was in a not very well trained state. kelly had never been here before. she was enchanted with this place. our seat of government. i realized if gabe had survived, he and kelly would likely have lived here for a time, serving the people and the nation he loved. this will not come to pass. rather, an echo of gabrielle will -- an echo of gabriel will persist, perhaps for centuries.

that isn't worth the loss but that echo is good and true. i ask that you and our descendants take inspiration from my son's echo as you conduct the affairs of congress and of this nation. thank you. >> hello. i want to particularly acknowledge the staffers of district 8 and especially those who were also there at the safeway that day. i've learned this about death, that after it, love survives. and i really hope that the love that gabe had for people and for justice lingers in this room for many, many years. this is my vision for this room. about 50 years from now, there

are two members of congress and they're rushing down the hallway together, trying to come to a meeting that's going to be a difficult meeting in this room, and the man turns to the woman and he says, who was gabe zimmerman, anyway? and the woman, member of congress, who has done her says, tells the story of the young staffer who was murdered trying to make democracy work in tucson, arizona. and there's a pause. and both of them commit to themselves that for this next meeting, held in this room, that they would stand up for what they believed in. i want to thank those of you who made it possible that maybe that

vision or something like it can come true. thank you very much. [applause] >> let us pray. loving god, as we leave this place, we ask again that you reward gabe zimmerman for his love and service. give to him the joys and blessings of eternal life as you console all who are bound to him still. may we all be inspired by gabe's example. he loved listening to the concerns of constituents and solving their problems when he could. grant, o lord, that his love of the world and all your children

be an ince prigs to us all in our work and in our encounters with others. may god's great name be blessed forever and ever, amen. may there be peace and light for us all, amen. that he who makes peace in the heavens grant peace to us all, amen. >> i want to thank all of you for coming today and invite the family and the stage guests to join us in front of the plaque for a photo. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013]