WASHINGTON — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona announced Sunday she intends to resign from Congress this week to concentrate on recovering from wounds suffered in an assassination attempt a little more than a year ago that shook the country.
“I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice,” the Democratic lawmaker said on a video posted without prior notice on her Facebook page.
“I’m getting better. Every day my spirit is high,” she said. “I have more work to do on my recovery. So to do what’s best for Arizona, I will step down this week.”
Giffords was shot in the head and grievously wounded last January as she was meeting with constituents outside a supermarket in Tucson, Ariz. Her progress had seemed remarkable, to the point that she was able to walk dramatically into the House chamber last August to cast a vote.
Her shooting prompted an agonizing national debate about super-charged rhetoric in political campaigns, although the man charged in the shooting later turned out to be mentally ill.
In Washington, members of Congress were told to pay more attention to their physical security. Legislation was introduced to ban high-capacity ammunition clips, although it never advanced.
Under state law, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer must call a special election to fill out the remainder of Giffords’ term, which ends at the end of 2012.
President Barack Obama on Sunday called Giffords “the very best of what public service should be.”
“Gabby’s cheerful presence will be missed in Washington,” Obama said. “But she will remain an inspiration to all whose lives she touched — myself included. And I’m confident that we haven’t seen the last of this extraordinary American.”
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he saluted Giffords “for her service and for the courage and perseverance she has shown in the face of tragedy. She will be missed.”
In a statement, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said that “since the tragic events one year ago, Gabby has been an inspiring symbol of determination and courage to millions of Americans.”
Democratic officials had held out hope for months that the congresswoman might recover sufficiently to run for re-election or even become a candidate to replace retiring Republican Sen. Jon Kyl.
The shooting on Jan. 8, 2011, left six people dead, a federal judge and a Giffords aide among them. Twelve others were wounded.
A 23-year-old man, Jared Lee Loughner, has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges in the shooting. He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and is being forcibly medicated at a Missouri prison facility in an effort by authorities to make him mentally ready for trial.
In the months since she was shot, Giffords, 41, has been treated in Houston as well as Arizona as she re-learned how to walk and speak.
She made a dramatic appearance on the House floor Aug. 2, when she unexpectedly walked in to vote for an increase in the debt limit. Lawmakers from both parties cheered her presence, and she was enveloped in hugs.
More recently, she participated in an observance of the anniversary of the shooting in Arizona.
In “Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope,” a book released last year that she wrote with her husband, the astronaut Mark Kelly, she spoke of how much she wanted to get better, regain what she lost and return to Congress.
She delivers the last chapter in her own voice, saying in a single page of short sentences and phrases that everything she does reminds her of that horrible day and that she was grateful to survive.
“I will get stronger. I will return,” she wrote.
Giffords was shot in the left side of the brain, the part that controls speech and communication.
Kelly commanded the space shuttle Endeavour on its last mission in May. She watched the launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Kelly, who became a NASA astronaut in 1996 and made four trips into space aboard the space shuttle, retired in October.
A very courageous person. I don’t care what state you are from you still have to admire her for the will to come back from all she has been through. I wish her all the best.
She wasn’t the only one injured that day. Who are they and where are they? Do these people work for the govenment? Probably not, so no mention needed??? We know she got the best in care, did the other INNOCENT people receive the same? All men created equal if you work for the government….
Well a public citizen can’t resign from congress so I would say those people injured wouldn’t need to be mentioned, especially since she was the target.
If I remember right an 8 year old girl was killed, and she got zip for press.
You remember wrong. Her name was Christina Taylor Greene and her story was given a considerable amount of press, more so than any of the other victims on a national scale. Her father works for the Los Angeles Dodgers and her grandfather, Dallas, was a major league pitcher and manager of the Phillies, Yankees and Mets. She was remembered in a special ceremony at the All-Star game.
It’ sad that you begrudge the courageous story and comeback of Ms. Giffords by inferring that she got too much publicity.
Absolutely wish her the best in her continued recovery.
This is absolutely the right choice for Arizona. I feel terribly sad for Rep. Giffords, but the people of Arizona deserve representation and she can no longer give them that.
Thank you, Gabby. You did the right thing. It is very sad. But right.
This is something she should have done many months ago.
unlike…you have just been booed
I agree. As soon as it was obvious that her recovery was going to be long and hard, she should have been removed from service. It’s great that she survived and is recovering, but her chair could have been filled and used in her absence.
Its too bad she doesn’t have your overriding sense of unerring appropriateness. Its evident from your remarks, you would have handled it much better.
No, this isn’t a compassion issue at all, if this happened to the President, (s)he would be out under the 25th Amendment. Just because someone became unable to fulfill her position through no fault of her own, doesn’t make her a bad person nor a bad leader, or bad at her job. And I don’t think EJ was saying that at all. It’s just like any other person who becomes disabled and needs to be replaced.
I didn’t mention compassion in my remarks. It is just as well, for some people suffer from a direful poverty of compassion and empathy, but in compensations of sorts are gifted with such chilling detachment and willingness to find fault and criticize. I am especially moved by your big hearted statement that it wasn’t her fault that she was shot in the head, and that the fact that she was “doesn’t make her a bad person, nor a bad leader, or bad at her job.” If Gabby had died two weeks after the shooting, no doubt, she would be called to task on this string for taking so long to die. “Its just like any other person who becomes disabled and needs to be replaced.”
I am not sure my comment was received in the spirit it was meant. I was a teacher before I became disabled, when I realized I could no longer effectively do my job, I stepped down, I had to devote my time to recovery. Before I realized this, however, in my absence, substitutes were called in to replace me. Maybe the point I’m trying to make is that we have back ups, subs, temps, vice presidents, it seems like someone could be qualified to ‘fill in’ for lack of a better term. My hopes for her at this point, is that by stepping down, people will leave her alone and let her recover.
OK Beast your point is taken. In a close historic parallel Senator Charles Sumner was beaten almost to death on the floor of the US Senate by Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina. His recovery stretched over a long period and years elapsed before he could resume his senatorial duties. His long absence was tolerated and supported with “compassion ” and understanding by his loyal party and constituents. He served for 18 more years until his death. My point being every case is different and there is no hard and fast right and wrong. Historically, Sen. Sumner never suffered from loss of reputation due to his victimization and long absence. In fact one could point out that an absent person is capable of more overall worthiness than some more fortunate serving incumbents. Sen. Sumner went on to serve his state and nation with distinction for the remainder of his career. You seemed to be agreeing with a couple of particularly soulless birds in this matter and I stand by my previous posts..
One was beaten, the other had a bullet displace part of her brain.
Sen. Sumner’s head was beaten to a pulp. You can think of Gabby’s wound as the equivalent of a stroke and you would not be far off I am thinking. So, your point?
You will never understand so no point in trying to retort.
boooooooooooooo, EJ
Be realistic. If you were not able to continue in your job for a long period of time, do you think your position should be left vacant? Or do you think that someone else should fill your position until you recover? What about the business? What about the clients? And in Rep. Gifford’s case, what about the people she was elected to serve?
Politicians don’t work alone, they have a team of staff members. Those who elected her aren’t without a voice. You’re the one who is being unrealistic in demanding that Giffords have had the foresight to know exactly how quick or slow her own recovery would be.
It’s her choice, not yours. So quit it and maybe learn a thing or two about tact.
I said, “she should have been removed”. And the staff of an elected official cannot speak or vote for them in their absence.
Yeah, nice word choice there. Again, get some tact please.
Fascinating. You want to lecture me on tact.
EJParsons thanks for taking the beating on this one. People hate it when you tell them the truth and destroy their bubble of hope.
I take a lot of beatings on here. And it is primarily because people just can’t handle the truth.
has she done the right thing, yes, Should she have taken as much time as she need? yes. She now know she not going to be able to recover enough to do the job. The State of Az., is ok with it, and that’s really all that counts!
She was never going to recover to the point where she could do her job. A lot of people such as you wanted to think she would but I knew she never would return from the day she was shot and that is why I stated this should have happened many months ago.
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Nothing sour about it. Just being realistic.
Gabby certainly had the will to live, she is a fighter. Great admiration for her and her family. I’m sure she will continue to contribute to society in whatever way she possibly can, because she has alot to offer.
half a brain gone i’d step down too..
With half a brain gone you’d be running on empty.
wish i had 10 likes for this
Generally, I vote Republican, but that doesn’t matter here. Best of luck to you, Mrs. Giffords, and I sincerely hope you make a full recovery. God Bless.
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If a republican had held onto this seat for this long, the press would have had field day.