Expressing Sense of House Regarding Arizona Shooting

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor our colleague Gabby Giffords and to mourn the loss of those that died in Tucson on Saturday, and to also pray for those who have been affected by this great tragedy, and to applaud the courage of those who risked their own lives so that others might live, and to thank the first responders and the health care professionals whose quick action and work saved their lives.

You know, Madam Speaker, nobody ever thought Saturday would happen, especially Gabby. She was just out there doing her job. And when you think of the 20 families, and the community and the Nation, and how we have been affected by this act of violence, you think of the little girl that went there to meet her Congresswoman who never came home. You think about the person that took her, that wonderful neighbor who now will always think about what if I hadn't done this, what if I hadn't said would you like to come?

Madam Speaker, there are so many people affected by this tragedy. And no one can ever understand the mind of a person that would do this random act of violence. But we as a Nation can come together. We can recognize the courage of those that helped stop him. We can recognize the courage of those that are fighting for their lives, especially our Gabby. We can pray especially that this Nation will never again see that kind of tragedy.

And most importantly, Madam Speaker, we as a Nation--and I know people have said to me, well, what can we do? We as a Nation can pray. Get down on our knees every morning and every night. Pray for Gabby. Pray for her family. Pray for those folks that are suffering in the hospital. Pray for those moms and those dads and those brothers and those sisters and those aunts and those uncles and those grandparents that will never touch the family members again. Pray for Gabby's staff. Mourn the loss of her staffer. Mourn the loss of all six who perished. But most importantly, to pray that the folks that have been affected can have the courage to go on.

You know, we had a prayer service. And Cantor Leon Sher wrote a beautiful song. And at the end of the song he says:

We pray for healing of the people,

We pray for healing of the land.

And peace for every race and nation,

Every child, every woman, every man.

I don't think any words can sum up what we need to do here now today. So let us pray for Gabby that she comes back and she fights for what she believes in.

I welcome her spirited debate and her smile and her Pollyanna point of view. But let us hope that all of those that have been touched by this tragedy can heal and heal in a short run. Thank you. God bless this country, and God bless all in it.

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