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Gabrielle Giffords: Before Congress
Gabrielle Giffords: Before Congress
In the wake of Saturday’s horrific events in Arizona, the thoughts and prayers of all of us here at the DLCC go out to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the other victims of this tragedy, and all of their families and friends.
Rep. Giffords’ accomplishments and record as a member of the U.S. House are being widely discussed as the country eagerly awaits news on her progress and recovery.
Rep. Giffords was elected to Congress in 2006, but her career in public service began when she was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2000, where she served until she was elected to the Arizona Senate in 2002. She resigned from the state Senate in 2005 to focus on her run for the congressional seat she now holds.
Her career path began in the private sector. She was working for Price Waterhouse in New York City when she decided to return to her hometown of Tucson to help her ailing father and his struggling business. She rescued El Campo Tire Warehouse and sold it to Goodyear in 2000. She was elected to the state House later that year. Two years later, she became the youngest woman elected to the state Senate.
During her time in the state legislature, Rep. Giffords pushed for bills related to mental health, earning a designation as 2004 Legislator of the Year by the Mental Health Association of Arizona. She also worked on the bipartisan Children’s Caucus to improve education and healthcare for Arizona’s kids.
While serving in the state legislature, Rep. Giffords was repeatedly recognized for her accomplishments. Such accolades include Tucson Business Edge 40 Under 40, Arizona Planning Association Legislator of the Year, Scripps College Alumna of the Year, and Sierra Club’s Most Valuable Player, among others.
Rep. Giffords carried her commitment to her state and her constituents with her to Congress, where she is a champion for solar energy, border security, and military families and veterans.
Recent news regarding Rep. Giffords’ condition is positive, and we wish her all the best in her recovery.
Let we praise Rep. Giffords for her good works, while we also pray for her recovery from her wounds. It is our fervent prayer, as well, that we can find a way as a nation to heal from this assault on this fine young woman and the other citizens that came to see her in Tucson. It was not simply an assault on these individuals, but an assault on our representative democracy--a model of governing that has sustained our great country, America, since its founding in 1776.
Let us join together as a people--rich, poor, white, black, Latino, Asian, Democrat, Republican and all religions--to reaffirm our dedication to the inclusive values of our country. Let our "bonds of affection," as Lincoln would say, ever sustain us against poor times like these when these time-honored values come under assault.
A marvelous lady. Her constituents, Arizona, the country -- we -- didn't deserve her. We pray for her as we would pray for ourselves if and when we were struck by a tragedy of such magnitude.
My prayers are with Rep. Giffords, the other victims and all of their families.
I was shocked when I heard the news, but she's quite fine now. Giffords can speak again, as her rehabilitation is working rapidly. Giffords is undergoing extreme physical rehabilitation after being shot in the head and reportedly asked medical staff for toast with her breakfast. The wounds she received are normally deadly.