On the recordJanuary 12, 2011
I, like our colleagues, am rising in sorrow today to address the events that occurred in Arizona this past weekend. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those victims, with their families, and with our colleague, Gabby Giffords. She was doing what we all do--hearing the concerns of her constituents. And I think we all know and recognize that we in this Chamber are more visible and more accountable than ever before. On Saturday, a madman, a monster, attempted to assassinate our beloved colleague. She was shot in the line of duty, the duty of listening to, so that she could more effectively represent those constituents. It was a duty that she and many of us do love and do treasure that interaction with our constituents. Today, more so than ever, as Members of Congress are called to that duty, we realize that it goes with us wherever we go. Every trip to the grocery store, to church, to a soccer game, can turn into a town hall meeting. That accessibility to those who count on us to make the right decision is something that we cannot give up. Even though this past weekend's events have devastated us, we must not compound the tragedy by being deterred from those duties.
