Expressing Sense of House Regarding Arizona Shooting

Floor Speech

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Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and in honor of the victims and those left suffering as a result of last weekend's devastating tragedy in Arizona.

In what can only be described as a brutal act of domestic terrorism, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff, and other members of the Tucson community are now fighting for their lives. And six innocent others, including a 9-year-old little girl and the Congresswoman's director of community outreach, Gabe Zimmerman, gave the ultimate sacrifice in the exercise of our democracy.

This tragedy gives us great pause as we begin the work of the 112th Congress and serves as a painful reminder that our democracy is built upon the ability of our citizens to participate fully in their democracy, and we must protect that. These have been tragic hours for our country, for those who lost loved ones, and for those who were injured and their families. On behalf of the people of the First District of Rhode Island and my colleague, Congressman Jim Langevin of the Second District, we send our sincerest condolences from our entire State to all those who have lost a loved one as a result of this hideous attack. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to Congresswoman Giffords, her staff and her constituents, all of whom were victims of this tragedy. And we pray that those injured have a speedy and full recovery.

May God grant our Nation and all the victims peace and comfort. And may we renew our commitment to the ideals that have made America great, including the free exchange of ideas and a democracy that continues to listen carefully to the people we serve.

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