Honoring the Victims and Heroes of the Shooting on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona

Floor Speech

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Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise to give some brief remarks about the resolution we are considering today. First and foremost, this resolution condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the horrific attack that took place earlier this month in Tucson, AZ, while my friend and colleague Gabrielle Giffords was giving time to her constituents through a ``Congress at Your Corner'' event, an event that many of us in the Congress host for our constituents, for them to come speak to us about issues that matter to them most.

During that attack, many lives were lost. We express our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families and the friends and the loved ones who lost their loved ones during that attack.

Each of those who are honored today will be remembered for all they gave to their communities and all they have done, including a great judge, John Roll, and community members Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and a great public servant, Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman. They are all in our thoughts and prayers.

President Obama took the time to really talk about one life that was lost that affected me most deeply, and that was about Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl who went to the ``Congress at Your Corner'' event to learn about public service, to see her Congressman do her job, to hear what she had to say.

That young girl and her life and the image President Obama talked about in his speech not only in Tucson but in his speech last night I thought affected all of us because his speech was about the hope and the dreams that every child in America has for this country, for our democracy, the true aspirations that Christina had for this government, the expectations she had for us.

I believe last night President Obama gave a call to action to all of us about who we should be as Americans, what this country stands for, why we are all public servants, and why we are here to do our jobs. I think it is the image and the life of Christina that gives us hope for the future about what we can be and what we can do together, and I think that is what last night's speech was most about.

I want to take a moment to talk about my dear friend Gabby, whose courage and whose strength has been extraordinary and is something that not only inspires me but I think inspires every one of the young people here today and all of us in this country because she is surviving and she is determined to overcome this horrific attack against her and our democracy and against all of us. Every day she recovers is one more day where her strength is there as a bright light for all of us, as a reminder of what we are all capable of and a reminder of what is best in each of us. I am going to go visit Gabby this weekend and sit with her and give her the well wishes and the prayers of all of us here.

Having her seat remain open last night was a stark reminder of what can be so easily lost, and the importance of our presence in that Chamber to do the people's business, that we are there not for ourselves, we are not there as Democrats or Republicans, but we are there as public servants, to do the will of the American people, to do our jobs, and to represent the people we are sent here to represent.

So I thank Gabby and her extraordinary husband Mark, whose love for her truly is pulling her every day across the finish line, for their courage and their dedication, and I wish to let them know we will continue to pray for their recovery, we will continue to pray for all those who were injured and are recovering, and we pray for all the families who have lost their loved ones.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the debate time on the resolution be extended to 2:30 p.m., that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect, and that the vote on adoption of the resolution occur at 2:30 p.m.

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