Expressing Sense of House Regarding Arizona Shooting

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. 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 have 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. And as we have all seen over the last few days, her strength is unwavering.

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 would 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 the student council; Gabe Zimmerman, a dedicated staffer who was just on the cusp of his own life, recently engaged; Federal Judge John Roll, a highly respected jurist who just came by to thank GABBY for her support of the judiciary; Phyllis Schneck, who was a tireless volunteer at her local church; Dorwan Stoddard who shielded his dear wife; and Dorothy Morris who was married to her husband a long time who was also there but who survived.

My thoughts and prayers remain with GABBY and with each victim and their families.

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