Giffords honored at State of the Union
— -- Members of Congress gave Rep. Gabrielle Giffords a standing ovation and chanted "Gabby, Gabby, Gabby" as she entered the House chamber on Tuesday night, the eve of her last day in office.
Giffords, who will resign at the end of the work day on Wednesday, came to hear President Obama deliver the annual State of the Union address. Walking with a limp, she was escorted to her seat by her best friend in Congress, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., as her colleagues cheered.
Visibly moved by the tribute, Giffords smiled and waved as she stood between fellow Arizona Reps. Jeff Flake, a Republican, and Raul Grijalva, a Democrat and fellow Tucson resident. She held hands with Grijalva and linked arms with him and Flake.
Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, handed the Democratic congresswoman some M&Ms to repay her for the chocolate she often shared with him on their flights West from Washington. Giffords patted his cheek.
When Obama entered the chamber, he and Giffords shared a long hug. She rested her head on his right shoulder and they rocked back and forth for a short time. The president also kissed her on both cheeks and spoke softly to her.
Later, as Obama delivered his speech, Giffords rose and pumped her left fist in the air as he called for equal pay for equal work for American women.
Attending the speech was one of the last official acts that Giffords will make before she steps down to focus on her continued rehabilitation.
On Wednesday, she will vote on her final piece of legislation, a bipartisan bill she introduced with Flake to impose tougher penalties on drug smugglers who use ultralight aircraft to transport their illicit goods into the United States from Mexico.
Shortly after the vote, she will turn in her resignation letter, her office said Tuesday. A special primary election will be held this spring, most likely in April, to begin the process of filling her seat.
Giffords will end her resignation letter with these words: "Every day I am working hard. I will recover and will return and we will work together again for Arizona and for all Americans."
Just a year ago, few could have predicted that Giffords would be able to attend Tuesday night's speech. When Obama gave the annual address on Jan. 25, 2011, Giffords was lying in a hospital bed in Houston, Texas, where she had been flown four days earlier to begin a rigorous process of rehabilitation.
The congresswoman was shot through the left side of her brain on Jan. 8, 2011 when a gunman opened fire as she met with constituents at a "Congress On Your Corner" event at a grocery store in Northwest Tucson. Six people were killed and 13 wounded.
Kelly has been at Giffords' side through much of her rehabilitation, cheering on what doctors have called Giffords' remarkable progress. As she stood in the House chamber Tuesday night, Giffords blew a kiss to Kelly, who smiled down on her from the balcony where he sat between First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
Lawmakers of opposing parties sat with each other in honor of Giffords, who has a reputation for getting along with Republicans as well as her fellow Democrats. They started the practice last year in tribute to the Arizona congresswoman.
Flake and Grijalva left an empty seat between them in honor of Giffords when they attended last year's speech.
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