A resolution honoring the victims and heroes of the shooting on January 8, 2011 in Tucson, Arizona.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, first, I would like to express my strong support for the resolution on the floor honoring the victims and the heroes of the Tucson shooting, and I thank Senators Kyl and McCain for submitting it.

Let me take this opportunity to express once again my sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives that morning and to join with all those who are persevering in prayer for the injured, including Congresswoman Giffords, whose condition, thankfully, still appears to be improving day by day.

We will never forget the heroism of those who sacrificed their own safety that morning in Tucson for the good of those around them nor the dedication of those who attended to the wounded immediately after the shooting both at the scene and in the hospital rooms in the days that followed.

We thank all of them for giving us, in the midst of this horrific event, some reason for hope and a powerful example of service to follow.

It is my hope that today's resolution will help in some way to preserve the memory of the dead, the injured, and the heroes of Tucson.

Hopefully, out of this terrible national tragedy the rest of us can draw strength and inspiration, grow in concern for those around us, and deepen our sense of purpose about the work we do here every day.

State of the Union Address

Mr. President, for 2 years I have insisted again and again that the two parties can and should work together on legislation that would spur the economy, create an environment for good private sector jobs, and put our Nation on a stronger footing for the future. Last night, the President did the same. So this afternoon I would like to accept the President's offer to work together just as I did after last year's State of the Union.

I agree with the President that we can and should work together to increase, without Federal mandates, production of more domestic sources of energy, including nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas; on strengthening and protecting our borders and enforcing immigration laws; on increasing U.S. exports by completing free-trade agreements with South Korea but also Panama and Colombia; on medical liability reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits; on finding a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations of Americans; on finishing the job in Iraq and Afghanistan; and on simplifying the individual Tax Code and reducing our corporate tax rates, which are making it harder and harder for U.S. companies to compete around the world.

Working together in all these areas would help the economy by encouraging the creation of private sector jobs, improving security, and helping us keep our commitments to our children and our parents. I take the President at his word when he says he is eager to cooperate with us on doing all of it.

But achieving each of these things should be an end unto itself. It cannot be contingent on some cynical bargain whereby one party agrees to secure the border as long as the other party agrees to amnesty for illegal immigrants; where one side agrees to increase domestic energy exploration as long as the other side agrees to cripple the economy with higher fuel prices; where one side agrees to fight terror as long as the other side agrees to artificial timelines and preordained withdrawal dates--in other words, a bargain whereby the party offering to work together has no real intention of working together at all. And too often that has been the approach this President and his party have taken over the last 2 years.

Take health care. For more than a year, we offered to work with the White House and Democrats on a bill that would incorporate the best thinking on both sides. They refused every step of the way. In the end, they got the bill they wanted: a massive government-driven system that creates an unknowable number of new bureaucratic entities and two massive new government entitlements, which is already leading people to lose the care they like, which nearly two-thirds of U.S. doctors surveyed predict will lead to worse care, and which is causing already struggling businesses to struggle even more with a mountain--a mountain--of new mandates and fees. It is only after this disastrous bill has become law that the President says he is now interested in making it better, even as he belittles the legitimate concerns so many Americans continue to have about it.

He has taken the same approach to spending and debt. Two years ago, the President came to Congress and told the country we needed to invest in the future through a trillion-dollar stimulus that was supposed to be a model of transparency and efficiency. Within a year, this bill, which was sold to us as the answer to our Nation's economic woes, had become a national punch line, a tragic waste of money. And 2 years after that investment in our future was signed into law, what do we have? Nearly $3.5 trillion more in debt and nearly 3 million more Americans out of work.

These out-of-work Americans do not want to sit around and wait for the Democratic vision of the future to appear, compliments of the experts in Washington. They are not particularly moved by someone's vision of what America could look like 40 years from now if only they hand over more of their paychecks or more of their freedoms now. They want a job. They want Washington to stop trying to help them and let them help themselves.

So the President talks a good game, but call us skeptical, because when all of the applause is over and the speeches are through, the debt is higher, more and more wasteful spending and job-stifling regulations come to light, and millions of Americans are still asking the same simple, persistent question: Mr. President, where are the jobs?

The President made some good suggestions on areas where we could work together, and we stand ready to do so, just as we have in the past. But we have now seen enough to know that what the President says and what the President does are two very different things. He has called for investments in energy before and we got the stimulus. He called for working with us on trade. We are still waiting. He said before we need to get serious about the debt, even as it reached dizzying new heights as a result of his policies. He speaks like one who recognizes that spending is out of control, and yet his response is to propose that we lock in spending levels we already know are completely unsustainable. This isn't progress. This is an admission of defeat. Americans don't want a spending freeze at unsustainable levels. They want cuts-- dramatic cuts--and I hope the President will work with us on achieving them soon.

To put it simply, the President still sounds as though he is trying to have it both ways. His tone may be changing, but based on past performance we will remain skeptical until we see actual results. Republicans have pledged to the voters that we will do everything we can to cut wasteful government spending, work to lower the debt, get government out of the way of economic growth, and to work to repeal the health care bill, even as we replace that health care bill with the kind of commonsense reforms people actually want. The President has shown he is willing to talk about some of these things. Let's hope he surprises us by showing a new willingness to do more than that--to actually work with us on achieving real results.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, what is the pending business before the Senate?

Madam President, I want to thank Majority Leader Reid and our colleagues from Arizona, Senators Kyl and McCain, for bringing this important resolution to the floor of the Senate. It has been over 2 weeks, but our shock and sadness over what happened on that beautiful Saturday morning in Tucson is still very real. They were just ordinary Americans, engaged in what we might call the dialog of democracy, when a gunman stepped in and began firing. Within seconds Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and a dozen innocent bystanders lay injured, and six irreplaceable lives were ended.

Most of us never had the good fortune to meet Judge John Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, Phyllis Schneck, Dot Morris, Dorwan Stoddard, or that beautiful little girl, Christina Green. While they shared the Earth with us, we did not know them. But we have come to know them in the last 2 weeks. They were good and decent people who loved their families, tried to help others, and believed in the promise of this great Nation.

We mourn their loss. Gabby Giffords, our colleague in the House, believes in the promise of America's democracy. She believes in it so passionately that she chose to run for Congress, even though she probably could have found a more comfortable and even more financially rewarding life. She believed in democracy so much that she was one of those Members of Congress who would hop on an airplane and fly across America on a weekly basis to be back home in her district in Arizona.

She believed in this country so deeply that she continued to reach out to her constituents even after the end of a spirited campaign when a lot of Members of Congress were trying to find at least a few weeks to take it easy before they got back into the swing of things.

She was concerned about her safety. But she was dedicated to her job and her Nation and certainly the people she represented. We are grateful to the doctors and all of the medical professionals who worked wonders to save her life and to heal those who were hurt. We are grateful to the first responders and ordinary citizens who acted with such extraordinary courage to help the victims, tackle the gunman, and prevent an even more devastating loss of life.

We offer our deepest condolences to the heartbroken families and friends of those who were lost and all those who were wounded in body and spirit by this tragedy. We pray that time and God in His infinite mercy will bring them comfort and peace.

A few days ago, we were encouraged to learn that Congresswoman Giffords was moving to a rehab hospital in Houston to begin a new phase of her recovery. Yesterday her overall medical condition was upgraded to ``good,'' certainly good news. Soon we need to begin the next phase in our national discussion of this tragedy, in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future.

We cannot simply mourn and move on. We have to have the courage to face this tragedy squarely. It appears this terrible carnage was caused by a man with a history of mental illness and a gun. It is not the first time. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by a mentally ill man with a gun. Nearly 4 years ago, a mentally ill student shot and killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. On Valentine's Day 2008, a former student with a history of mental instability walked into the lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, armed with a shotgun and three handguns. He killed six people including himself and injured 21 others.

In 1998, a man with a serious mental illness walked into this building, the Capitol, and before it ended he had shot and killed two members of the Capitol Police force. Some are going to argue you cannot stop a disturbed person who is intent on committing an act of violence. To some extent that is certainly true. But you can take steps to limit the harm that person can cause by keeping the deadliest of weapons out of that person's hands. The gunman in Tucson used a semiautomatic handgun with a high-capacity ammunition clip capable of holding over 30 rounds. He fired off 31 shots in a matter of seconds before he had to reload and was tackled by brave citizens.

If he had had to reload sooner, say, after 10 rounds, at least 9 people in Tucson would not have been shot. High-capacity clips were used to commit mass murder at Virginia Tech, Fort Hood in Texas, and in Tucson. There is no legitimate sporting or self-defense purpose for such high-capacity weaponry. Hundreds of homeowners do not need to fire 31 rounds in a matter of seconds.

High-capacity clips were once illegal under the 1994 Federal assault weapons ban signed by President Clinton, supported by Presidents Reagan, Carter, and Ford. But that law expired 7 years ago in 2004.

Even former Vice President Dick Cheney, a hunter, and an outspoken second amendment rights advocate, has said in his words, ``maybe it is appropriate'' to reinstate the ban on high-capacity clips in the wake of the Tucson tragedy.

We also need to plug the holes in the Federal background check system to make it harder for people with a history of serious mental illness or substance abuse from getting guns. This man who was charged with the murders in Tucson is someone who was rejected by our military because of his mental condition. He was also told to leave a community college because they feared that he was a danger to himself and others. And yet he could purchase a weapon and a high-capacity clip in Arizona, in America.

No one is proposing to take guns away from responsible hunters and law-abiding citizens. The Supreme Court has made it clear, individuals have the right to own guns and I respect that decision. But the Supreme Court has also said that the second amendment is ``not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever, in any manner whatsoever, and for whatever purpose.''

We ought to be able to agree to keep the deadliest weapons out of the hands of people who are seriously unstable. President Obama gave a very moving speech in Tucson about Christina Green, the little third grader who had just been elected to her student council and often wore red, white, and blue in honor of her country.

The President said, ``I want to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it.''

I hope we will put political agendas aside and put our heads together so we can lessen the chances of another tragedy such as Tucson. That would be the very best memorial we could build to those who lost their lives, and the best we could do for America to do our job to keep it safe.

I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Webb) are necessarily absent.

I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Webb) would each vote ``yea.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, yesterday I spoke to the events of January 8 in Tucson, AZ, specifically referencing the people we are honoring by the resolution that is before us today. At 2:30 this afternoon, we will have an opportunity to act as a body, Democrats and Republicans from all parts of our country, to recognize the people who were injured, the families of those who were killed, and, of course, the heroes of the tragic Tucson shooting.

On that morning of January 8, Representative Gabrielle Giffords arrived at a Tucson Safeway store for her ``Congress on Your Corner'' event. She was there to meet with constituents, which is something she enjoyed doing very much. This was the first such event of the year. She had hosted others previously.

She was joined by members of her staff. Among them were Pam Simon, Ron Barber, Gabriel Zimmerman, and Daniel Hernandez, an intern. They stood alongside as Congresswoman Giffords greeted her constituents who had lined up to speak with her. One of those individuals was Judge John Roll, chief judge of the U.S. District Court of Arizona, a personal friend of mine. Like most mornings, he had attended mass. Then he decided to stop by the Safeway to thank the Congresswoman for her assistance in dealing with the court's overwhelming caseload. Also attending the event was 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, who, like Congresswoman Giffords, had recently won elected office. This third grader had recently been elected to the student council by Mesa Verde Elementary School. Dorothy Morris and her husband George, a retired marine, were attending the event together. And Phyllis Schneck, a great grandmother who spent the winters in Tucson but was actually from New Jersey, was there as well, as were Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard. As all of these people were waiting to speak to Congresswoman Giffords, a gunman approached and shot the Congresswoman in the head, then turning his gun on the others in line. Gabriel Zimmerman, Judge Roll, Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard were all killed. George Morris, Mavy Stoddard, Pamela Simon, Ron Barber, and the Congresswoman were injured, along with eight others.

Those who were killed had much more to offer in their lives.

Gabe, the Congresswoman's director of community outreach, was only 30 years old. He was engaged to be married. According to news reports, he was killed while rushing to assist others. He worked closely with my Tucson staff.

Judge Roll was not only a very distinguished and respected jurist but was known most of all in the Tucson community for his kindness and courtesy. He was killed as he tried to protect Ron Barber, who had been shot just moments before.

Christina-Taylor Green, as I mentioned, was only 9 years old, a third grader.

Dorothy Morris was married for 50 years to George, and he was injured trying to protect his wife. The couple has two daughters. I met one of them when I visited with George in the facility in which he is recuperating, where I was last Friday.

Phyllis, like others in this group, was a volunteer at her church. She was also known for her cooking.

Dorwan Stoddard I mentioned was also a church volunteer, and he, too, was shot as he dove to the ground to cover his wife, who escaped with wounds to her legs. I had an opportunity to visit with her again Friday as well.

As we know, the gunman was prepared to take more lives. His plans for more bloodshed were thwarted by brave and selfless citizens. Their stories have been documented in the media in the past few weeks, but a few of their heroic acts are worth recounting here.

After a bullet grazed his head and took him to the ground, Bill Badger, a 74-year-old retired Army colonel--and in good shape, I might add--got up and he helped hold the gunman down until the police arrived.

Anna Ballis was shopping that morning at Safeway. She was leaving the store when the shooting began. According to reports, she rushed to the aid of Barber after a bullet hit an artery in his leg. Anna is the mother of two U.S. marines who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times. I mentioned yesterday visiting Ron Barber in the hospital, holding Anna's hand, repeating over and over again how she had saved his life.

Such multiple acts of bravery and kindness.

Daniel Hernandez was in the gallery at the State of the Union speech last night. He is a 21-year-old intern for Congresswoman Giffords. He rushed to her aid right after the incident. He had some training in first aid and applied pressure to her wounds, which prevented her from bleeding more than she did. He stayed with her even after emergency service personnel arrived.

Sixty-one-year-old Patricia Maisch grabbed the magazine of additional ammunition the gunman was hoping to reload in his weapon and then administered first aid to a shooting victim.

Steve Rayle, a doctor and former emergency room physician, helped subdue the gunman until law enforcement arrived, and then he, too, helped to care for the injured.

As the gunman was trying to reload his weapon, Roger Salzgeber wrestled him down from behind.

Joseph Zamudio ran toward the scene from a nearby store when he heard the shots being fired and helped subdue the gunman again until law enforcement officers arrived.

We are obviously grateful for these acts of bravery. We are proud of the people I have mentioned but also all of the emergency workers who quickly arrived on the scene and provided lifesaving aid and comfort to the injured in the very crucial moments following the attack.

I must mention also the incredible team of professionals, the surgeons and other highly skilled personnel at University Medical Center. We are proud of that facility in southern Arizona, and they certainly showed their competence in dealing with all of the wounded and some who died.

It has now been more than 2 weeks since the tragedy, and the families who lost loved ones are obviously still grieving. We all pray that they find comfort in the days ahead, and we hope and pray that the wounded will soon make full recoveries. In recent days, we have received some good news in that regard as those who were wounded are beginning to recover and leave the hospital. Our friend and colleague Gabby Giffords, although she remains in serious condition, we are heartened to hear positive reports from her doctors, and we wish her the very best as she begins a new phase of her recovery in Houston.

The tragedy in Tucson was a shock to us all. It is difficult to comprehend that such horror could be visited upon such fine individuals and their families. In some respects, however, we see once again how it has brought out the best in good people.

In honor of the victims and the heroes of this tragic event, Senator McCain and I ask our colleagues in the Senate to pass S. Res. 14. We can do little to bring solace to those who lost loved ones, but we can affirm that this body is united in its grief for the fallen, its admiration for the heroes, and prayers for the injured.

Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, this resolution states that we honor the victims and heroes of the shooting on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, AZ. As we all know, and the Nation and the world knows, on January 8, a gunman opened fire at a ``Congress on Your Corner'' event hosted by Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, AZ, killing 6 and wounding 13 others.

Among those who lost their lives were 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Judge John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman.

Christina-Taylor Green was the 9-year-old daughter of John and Roxanna Green. She was born on September 11, 2001. She was a third grader, with an avid interest in government, who was recently elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School.

Dorothy Morris was 76 years old. She attended the January 8 event with George, her husband of over 50 years, with whom she had two daughters and who was also critically injured as he tried to shield her from the shooting.

John Roll, whom I will talk about later on, is a Pennsylvania native who was 63 years old. He began his professional career as a bailiff in 1972. He was appointed to the Federal bench in 1991 and became a chief judge for the District of Arizona in 2006. He was a devoted husband to his wife Maureen, father to his three sons, and grandfather to five grandchildren. He heroically attempted to shield Ron Barber from additional gunfire.

Phyllis Schneck, the proud mother of three and grandmother of seven and great-grandmother, from New Jersey and spending the winter in Arizona, was a 79-year-old church volunteer and New York Giants fan.

Dorwan Stoddard, a 76-year-old retired construction worker and volunteer at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ, is credited with shielding his wife Mavy, a long-time friend whom he married while they were in their sixties and who was also injured in the shooting.

Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman was 30 years old, engaged to be married, and served as director of community outreach to Representative Gabrielle Giffords and was a social worker before serving with Representative Giffords.

We all know Gabrielle Giffords was the target of the attack and was critically injured. Overnight, we received extremely good news in that her condition has been upgraded from critical to good. That is incredible news and is heartening to all of us.

Thirteen others were also wounded in the shooting, including Ron Barber and Pamela Simon, who were both staffers to Representative Giffords, and several individuals, including Patricia Maisch, Army COL Bill Badger, retired, was also wounded in the shooting. Roger Sulzgeber, Joseph Zimudie, Daniel Hernandez, Jr., Anna Ballis and Dr. Steven Rayle helped apprehend the gunman and assist the injured, thereby risking their lives for the safety of others.

Some of the actions that took place during this tragedy have been carried extensively in the media. The reaction of the people of Tucson and in Arizona to this tragedy has been incredibly uplifting and encouraging to all of us. There are so many stories of courage and bravery associated with this action. The quick reaction of our police and other first responders was remarkable, not to mention the incredible and extremely rapid care provided by the doctors and nurses and caregivers in Tucson. So in this great tragedy that has taken place, we can be comforted with the knowledge that our citizens reacted in the way that Americans do--with heroism, with courage, and with sacrifice.

I think it is entirely appropriate that this resolution be passed as one of the first acts of the new 112th Congress of the Senate and House. I wish to thank all Americans for their concern, their prayers and the sympathy and support they have extended not only to the victims and their families but also to the people of Arizona.

There will be discussion for weeks and months ahead as to how it was possible for this event to take place. I don't pretend to know all the answers. It was clearly a deranged individual, an individual who perhaps we could argue, while I can't say for certain, his mental illness should have been brought to the attention of the proper authorities. We do have a law that provides for such an action in the State of Arizona. At the same time, the question needs to be asked: The actions that we now have become very aware of, was the possibility of those actions brought to the attention of the proper people so they could take action?

The fact is it happened. The fact is we who are elected representatives will continue to have contact with our constituents. We will do so and not be deterred by the actions of this deranged individual. We cannot allow the actions of a deranged individual to prevent us from interacting, in a fundamental way, with our constituents. They deserve it. I am confident we will be able to continue the practice of townhall meetings, ``Congress on Your Corner,'' the kinds of activities that are, in some ways, not entirely unique to the United States of America but certainly are not practiced in most parts of the world.

So we are encouraged by the news concerning Gabrielle Giffords and we will harbor the hope and pray that she will return to her duties in the Congress, representing the people of southern Arizona. We pray for the family of Judge John Roll and those others who gave their lives. Senator Kyl and I attended the various memorial services and events surrounding this tragedy in Tucson and we come away obviously with deep sorrow over the event, yet at the same time with a great deal of pride and appreciation for our fellow citizens in Arizona and in Tucson who have reacted in a heroic and giving and loving and sharing fashion.

So I guess we will be voting on this issue sometime this afternoon, and I know other colleagues will be speaking on behalf of this resolution.

(The remarks of Mr. McCain pertaining to the introduction of S. 188 are

printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum, with the time being charged to both sides.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise to give some brief remarks about the resolution we are considering today. First and foremost, this resolution condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the horrific attack that took place earlier this month in Tucson, AZ, while my friend and colleague Gabrielle Giffords was giving time to her constituents through a ``Congress at Your Corner'' event, an event that many of us in the Congress host

for our constituents, for them to come speak to us about issues that matter to them most.

During that attack, many lives were lost. We express our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families and the friends and the loved ones who lost their loved ones during that attack.

Each of those who are honored today will be remembered for all they gave to their communities and all they have done, including a great judge, John Roll, and community members Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and a great public servant, Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman. They are all in our thoughts and prayers.

President Obama took the time to really talk about one life that was lost that affected me most deeply, and that was about Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl who went to the ``Congress at Your Corner'' event to learn about public service, to see her Congressman do her job, to hear what she had to say.

That young girl and her life and the image President Obama talked about in his speech not only in Tucson but in his speech last night I thought affected all of us because his speech was about the hope and the dreams that every child in America has for this country, for our democracy, the true aspirations that Christina had for this government, the expectations she had for us.

I believe last night President Obama gave a call to action to all of us about who we should be as Americans, what this country stands for, why we are all public servants, and why we are here to do our jobs. I think it is the image and the life of Christina that gives us hope for the future about what we can be and what we can do together, and I think that is what last night's speech was most about.

I want to take a moment to talk about my dear friend Gabby, whose courage and whose strength has been extraordinary and is something that not only inspires me but I think inspires every one of the young people here today and all of us in this country because she is surviving and she is determined to overcome this horrific attack against her and our democracy and against all of us. Every day she recovers is one more day where her strength is there as a bright light for all of us, as a reminder of what we are all capable of and a reminder of what is best in each of us. I am going to go visit Gabby this weekend and sit with her and give her the well wishes and the prayers of all of us here.

Having her seat remain open last night was a stark reminder of what can be so easily lost, and the importance of our presence in that Chamber to do the people's business, that we are there not for ourselves, we are not there as Democrats or Republicans, but we are there as public servants, to do the will of the American people, to do our jobs, and to represent the people we are sent here to represent.

So I thank Gabby and her extraordinary husband Mark, whose love for her truly is pulling her every day across the finish line, for their courage and their dedication, and I wish to let them know we will continue to pray for their recovery, we will continue to pray for all those who were injured and are recovering, and we pray for all the families who have lost their loved ones.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the debate time on the resolution be extended to 2:30 p.m., that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect, and that the vote on adoption of the resolution occur at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all quorum calls during the remainder of the debate on S. Res. 14 be charged equally to each side.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.