and today mark kelly and his fellow astronauts will be at the white house to be thanked and honored bynt. contes contessa? >> thank you. debbie waser man shuttle will talk at 11:00 a.m. >>> let's take a look right now at the dow jones industrials off by 56 points on a troubling report on consumer spending dropped for the first time in nearly two years. nicole lap inis here. it seems for several weeks we were so focused on the debt deal. even beginning yesterday we saw a manufacturing report and consumer confidence. >> we are back to basics now. and yet we're almost very add in terms of what's moving our money now. we were so focused on this debt tkaoefplt we have europe to deal with. our own economy to deal with. this is as the stimulus is retreating. the fed had our back. >> the fact that the gdp has grown so slowly. >> right. >> are we looking at a slowdown in our recovery? >> absolutely. and we're looking specifically at the jobs every single week we almost hold our breath. tomorrow jobless claims aren't coming out. that's expected to not do very much. >> a couple weeks ago we were

congresswoman gabby giffords had come back, steadied by her husband, mark kelly and chief of staff. >> it was incredible. a moment that we had been hoping for, praying for, thinking about since january 8th. >> reporter: a few snapshots had been the only glimpse until now. colleagues could not wait to greet her, touch her. new jersey democrat bill pascrell is still choked up about it. >> it was heart felt. she smiled, i hugged her and then i raised her hand because she's a champion. when you just think about all that she's been through, how the hell can we complain about our late nights over the last month? >> reporter: debbie wasserman schultz was by her side. >> we knew she would make a triumphant return. we knew her and predicted that it would happen. >> reporter: it had been six months, three weeks and four days since those shots were fired in tucson. giffords life was nearly taken then. giffords life was nearly taken. she returned to take some of that life back. she tweeted, the capitol looks beautiful and i'm honored to be at work tonight. her desk has been empty while her staff

eyes for the first time. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: her husband, space shuttle astronaut mark kellys by her side every day. as doctors marveled at her strength and the extent of her recovery -- >> and liftoff. >> reporter: -- gabby giffords left the hospital to watch her husband blast off into space on his last shuttle mission. >> she would say that, you know, it's time to turn something really bad into something good. she would want for something positive to come out of it. >> reporter: tonight, as she came back to the house in an hour of national need, we may be learning what it is gabby giffords wants to do. and just after the vote, congresswoman giffords tweeted, "the capitol looks beautiful, and i am honored to be at work tonight." well, it may look beautiful, but there's a lot of grumbling over there. a bitter pill is how many members, democratic and republican, describe tonight's vote, which raised the debt limit and cut spending. and may have prevented an economic catastrophe. it was just a wild, tense day over there. and abc's diane sawyer was in the capitol as the clock ti

the previous evening, rep debby wasserman schulz, a close friend, got a call from her husband, mark kelly, saying that she had been following the debate closely and said even when it became clear her vote would not be pivotal, giffords this significant issue. in on william, a republican in kentucky. go ahead. caller: i am a disabled veteran. i notice they will cut $4.30 billion from the veterans in health-care and they will reduce veteran disability. to me, a veteran who gets $1,000 from the va per month and $500 from social security per month, the total for the month will be $1,500 and they will drop the va down to $500 and therefore there will get $500 from the va and 500 from social security will take a one-third of my and come. i just wanted to make that comment until the veterans they need to be on the ball because we will be suffering. we served this country and so everyone can make their money and have free enterprise. but i tell you what. i heard about it. i heard about it. host: "cnn money" reports they are expecting another day of are expecting another day of losses

wasserman schultz helps her into the house, you see her on the left, that's her husband on the right, mark kellyspoke with congresswoman wasserman schultz a short time ago. just a remarkable moment today. among all this bickering to have a moment like this and see congresswoman giffords there. incredibly close friend of yours, obviously, what was it like for you to have her on the floor? >> absolutely incredible. when i got the call from mark that gabby had been following the negotiations and wanted to be able to be in the chamber to cast her vote, if it was pivotal, she wanted to make sure that she could help stave country from default and make sure that she was there on the most important vote that we'll are probably cast this congress for her constituents. it was the most overwhelming. it would be hard -- my heart -- all of our hearts were so full. you've had some grizled hardened members with very hardened hearts that everybody just melted when she walked in the chamber. it was so incredible. >> so you found out, what, yesterday, last night? >> yeah. mark called me last night and told megaby

congresswoman giffords was escorted to the house chamber by her husband mark kelly and fellow democrat and good friend debbie wasserman schultz of florida and she joins us this morning. it was great to watch your face throughout this process to watch you bring your friend back into work to that thunderous applause. what was it like for you? >> it was absolutely unbelievable. a few months ago when this all happened and i had a chance to talk to people and tell them that i was confident that gabby giffords would make a triumphant return and walk back into that chamber, you know, who knew it would be less than eight months after the shooting, but she proved her determination is as fierce as we all knew it was and it was absolutely electrifying and as her friend, just one of the most exciting, thrilling opportunities for me to help bring her in to return to work. >> when did you first learn that she would be coming? >> mark called me on sunday night and we talked about it. he said that gabby had been following the debate and the discussion and knew that she couldn't allow the lack of her v

her husband, space shuttle astronaut mark kelly, was by her side every day as doctors marveled at hertrength and the extentntf her recovery -- >> and liftoff. >> reporter: gabby giffords left the hospital to watch her husband blast off into space on his last shuttle mission. >> she would say that, you know, it's time to turn something she would want for something d. positive to come out of it. >> reporter: as she came back to the house in an hour of national need, we may be learning what it is gabby giffords wants to do. terry moran, abc news, washington. >> and giffords is expected to visit the white house today with her husband, a her husband, and we'll hear more from debbie wasserman schultz coming up just a little while later today on "good morning america." >>> and there are new details emerging this morning about the raid that killed osama bin laden. an article in "the new yorker" magazine implies that the may 1st mission was meant to kill bin laden from the start. also, president obama told the navy s.e.a.l.s afterwards that he had 50/50 confidence that bin laden was in the com

. >> reporter: while congresswoman giffords was inside the chamber, her husband, astronaut mark kelly, looked on from the side entrance. after the vote, they left the capitol together. giffords' friend and colleague, congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz said she and kelly had been texting the night before. giffords had been following the debt debate and thought it was important to be there for the vote. >> i'm just so proud of her. we've been working so hard to come back, and just, you know, we knew she'd came walking in the chamber one day, and today she did. >> reporter: congresswoman giffords mouthed thank you to the crowd surrounding her. she still has more rehabilitation, and recovery, ahead. danielle nottingham, cbs news, washington. >>> returning now to the debt limit plan, and its impact on this country's currently perfect credit rating. the rating agencies are still reviewing the plan and won't decide whether to lower that aaa rating until later this month. anthony mason has more on what could happen if they do. >> reporter: it may not be enough. the debt ceiling deal calls

. >> reporter: while his wife flew back to houston, mark kelly and other astronauts were meeting with the president today. this morning, kelly told me that though his wife's campaign has been holding fund-raisers, she's not yet made her decision on whether to run. >> what a night that was. what a moment. that shout that went up. thank you, bob woodruff. >>> and now we're going to move on and turn to the brutal temperatures baking the southern half of the country. 14 states trapped under a stifling dome of heat and humidity that makes it feel like almost 120 degrees. and the death toll is rising in this summer of extremes. abc's abbie boudreau is in dallas, where it has hit 100 degrees for more than a month. abbie? >>> reporter: in a city paralyzed by 32 consecutive 100-degree days, there's at least one business that's booming. you are basically the only person in texas that loves this heat. >> that's right. iceman loves the heat. >> reporter: emergency ice company bags 180 tons of ice a day. it's production up 40% from last year. >> we market towards the restaurants. we're renting a l

wasserman schultz helps her into the house, you see her on the left, that's her husband on the right, mark kellygresswoman wasserman schultz a short time ago. just a remarkable moment today. among all this bickering to have a moment like this and see congresswoman giffords there. incredibly close friend of yours, obviously, what was it like for you to have her on the floor? >> absolutely incredible. when i got the call from mark that gabby had been following the negotiations and wanted to be able to be in the chamber to cast her vote, if it was pivotal, she wanted to make sure that she could help stave country from default and make sure that she was there on the most important vote that we'll are probably cast this congress for her constituents. it was the most overwhelming. it would be hard -- my heart -- all of our hearts were so full. you've had some grizzled hardened members with very hardened hearts that everybody just melted when she walked in the chamber. it was so incredible. >> so you found out, what, yesterday, last night? >> yeah. mark called me last night and told me habby had been f

. >> the florida lawmaker got the good news in a text message om her husband, mark kelly, early mondaywasserman schultz describes what it was like to see her good friend back there at work. >> i've never seen more electricity on the floor erupt than when she triumphantly, as we hoped and predicted when we talked about it a few months ago, when she walked up those stairs. it was just absolutely amazing. she received thunderous applause, hugs, tears. even the hardest heart, which we had a lot of hardened hearts in this debate, just melted when she walked in the room. >> i believe it. giffords has not said whether she'll run for re-election next year but many do believe her return to the house is a step in that direction. >> and of course nowhere was the triumphant return more closely watched than in giffords' hometown. kgun reports from tucson. >> reporter: it's a proud day for university medical center as one of their most pivotal patients surprises congress and constituents, returning to cast her vote in washington. less than seven months ago, congresswoman giffords was here, receiving

astronaut mark kelly. he is a pillar of strength for her. to watch the messages and tweets that went out from republicans and democrats. it's the first show of unity we have seen in that body for a long time. alisyn: let's hope it lasts. bill: the staff said moments ago they are not sure about her 2012 plans. she is still in a redo have ar l in a recovery phase. the calendar is august 2. today is the day we have been waiting for, right? so what can we expect? we'll talk to a republican on the budget committee in a moment. senator sessions up live on that. we all remember these images of the oklahoma city bombing. the latest attempt to prevent a new attack with the same kind of weapon. a lot of people ink fiber can do one thing and one thing only, and those people are what i like to call wrong. take metamucil. sure it helps you keep regular, but it doesn't stop there. metamucil is the only leading fiber supplement with psyllium, which gels to help remove waste and reduce cholesterol. it can multi-multitask. it's so 2012. look at it! it's doin

. >> reporter: and in the capitol yesterday, it was no surprise her husband, astronaut mark kelly, was right there smiling saying it feels good, great, actually. and gabby is on her way back to houston today. she still has a long way to go in her recovery, certainly with her speech. but the big question now this morning is will she run again in 2012? we will see. robin? >> all right, bob. thank you. >>> and joining us now is gabby giffords' close friend debbie wasserman schultz of florida, also the chair of the democratic national committee. oh, it was electrifying for all of us to be watching from afar. you escorted your friend onto the floor. just describe to us that moment. >> you know, you just have this overwhelming sense of emotion rush over you. when mark called me sunday night to tell me that gabby had been following the debates on the debt ceiling very closely and felt strongly if her vote was pivotal she needed to make sure that she came to washington. she decided that either way, it was important for her constituents in the district in arizona to have their voice heard and r

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kelly. first the labor department releases new unemployment numbers and it's not good, the overall number of americans seeking unemployment benefits is back now above the 400,000 mark, where it's been for the most of the last three years, housing numbers also taking a big hit today, home sales, hitting a new low for the year, as well, despite the fact that mortgage rates are the lowest they have been in 40 years, and it gets worse. just one day after president obama expressed confidence that the united states will not be entering into another recession, morgan stanley is warning the complete opposite, it says the u.s. is in -- is, in fact, dangerously close to a second recession, and stock indices have been way down since the opening bell. gerri willis of the fox business network is with me to put that into perspective gerri, why is morgan stanley saying this? >> it makes a whole lot of sense. after seeing what's going on in europe, those markets selling off overnight, those worried about the debt there, there was talk that france might get an s&p downgrade t. hasn't happened but even the efforts from angela merkel from germany and sarkozy from france, coming toget

kelly's court in session. see you see at the top at 1:00. jon: a former pennsylvania judge convicted in the kids for cash case is sentenced this week. markvarella, jr. was found guilty of incarcerating young offenders for money. his lawyer says the former judge could face abuse if he goes to prison. should he receive special consideration in his sentencing? talk with fox senior judicial analyst, judge andrew napolitano. the anchor of "freedom watch" on the fox business network. what do you think of that argument? >> the answer is no. he shouldn't receive any special consideration. first of all, you should sentence the person for the crime they committed, not for who they are or what their background is. that is the general rule of them in state and sentencing system. you have a state judge found guilty of a jury sentencing people to a private scale that the state of pennsylvania leased and owners of the private jail were kicking back money to the judge based on number of people he sent there. jon: almost a million bucks. >> correct. so his decisions were motivated by greed and innoncent people went to jail so he could be enriched. this i