Gabrielle Giffords resigns from the House
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords resigned on Wednesday, the day after attending the State of the Union address.
Gabrielle Giffords, Democratic representative of Arizona, resigned from her congressional seat on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported.
Giffords’ resignation comes almost one year after she suffered massive injuries after being shot in the head by a gunman, during a massacre that left six dead and 13 wounded in Tucson. Giffords nearly died from the gunshot wound and suffered such severe damage to her brain, that the question of how much she could actually recover remained a question, the Washington Post reported.
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She announced her resignation this Sunday, telling people in a video, “I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week.”
After she handed in her resignation from the House on Wednesday morning, many of her House colleagues paid tribute to the Arizona representative.
“My grandmother used to say that there is nothing more powerful than a woman who has made up her mind,” said Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), the Washington Post reported. “Gabby Giffords has always been that woman. She is compassionate, tenacious and relentless in her love for our country.”
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Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) said, “We want Gabby to go home and take care of herself and return to her highest level of ability because she has much to offer the people of Arizona and her husband and the country. So it’s with a great deal of sadness that we say goodbye to her, but on the other hand we’re very happy for her and we very much urge everyone to vote for this bill.”
During President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, members of Congress gave Giffords a standing ovation and chanted “Gabby! Gabby!” when she entered the House chamber, USA Today reported. When President Obama entered the chamber, he shared a long hug with Giffords on the night before her last day in office.
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