After Tucson Shootings, a New Start for Congress? Unlikely

Democrat describes uphill battle for gun bill
I just spoke with Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., about where things stand on the Hill on her proposed ban on high-capacity magazines. The takeaway: It's going to be a tough battle to get any sort of new gun Legislation through Congress. "The NRA is out there already saying it's a slippery slope -- that if we take away the large magazines we're actually going to try and take away their guns, forgetting to mention that the Supreme Court has already said that everyone has a right to own a...

Orange Julius Doesn't Disappoint
As expected, House Speaker Boehner won't even allow any Gun Control Legislation up for a vote, including Republican Peter King's bill. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is rejecting gun-control Legislation offered by the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in response to the weekend shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others in Arizona. Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) announced plans Tuesday to introduce Legislation prohibiting people from carrying guns within 1,000 feet of members...

Udall wants Republicans and Democrats to sit together
Sen. Mark Udall. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post) WASHINGTON — Sen. Mark Udall is urging Republicans and Democrats to sit together during the State of the Union address Jan. 25 in an attempt to end “an arrangement has become a negative symbol of the divisions in Congress.” Usually, Republicans and Democrats sit on different sides of the chamber when the President delivers his remarks. In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Udall is urgin...

Colorado senator calls for Republicans and Democrats to sit together at SOTU
Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) proposed that the Speaker of the House as well as the majority and Minority Leaders of both houses of Congress sit together during President Obama's State of the Union Speech later this month, in a letter dated Wednesday. Udall, the senior senator from Colorado, writes in the letter — addressed to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)...

Obama To Arizona, Congress In Mourning
In the wake of alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner killing six and wounding a dozen, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Republicans and Democrats came together in a Bipartisan outpouring of support and mourning. President Barack Obama (pictured) is expected to speak during a memorial service for the victims at the University of Arizona. In the House of Representatives, a resolution is being drafted for all of the victims, including a nine-year-old girl. "Look at Tucson right now and you will b

House Puts Partisanship Aside After Giffords Shooting
This week, Congress was set for a rhetorical battle over Healthcare Reform and federal spending. But Partisanship, at least within the Capital, has taken a back seat to national grieving. In response to the shooting in Tuscon, Arizona, which left six people dead and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition, Congressional leaders have delayed all major votes until at least next week. [Photo Gallery: Gabrielle Giffords Shooting in Arizona.] On Wednesday, Congress didn't debate a bill to rep...

Abdication of duty
Abdication of Duty by digby So much for Bipartisan healing: Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) turned down an offer by President Barack Obama to travel on Air Force One to Arizona for a memorial service on behalf of the Victims of Saturday’s shooting, a decision that has upset some Democrats. Boehner is instead scheduled to attend a reception on Wednesday night on behalf of Maria Cino, a former top House GOP aide who is seeking the Republican National Committee chairmanship. Boehner is backing C...

GOP leaders quash Republicans effort to ban guns within 1,000 feet of lawmakers
Stumble This! The top two Republicans in the House of Representatives rejected Gun Control Legislation soon after it was announced by a senior GOP congressman, effectively dooming its hopes for consideration. The bill, unveiled by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on Tuesday, would have banned people from carrying guns within 1,000 feet of elected officials in Congress. It had the support of New York City mayor and outspoken gun-control advocate Michael Bloomberg. His announcement came days after the trag...

RNC reception coincides with memorial
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- House Speaker John Boehner attended a reception Wednesday for the Republican National Committee while a memorial service was being held in Tucson, an aide said. The aide told Roll Call the Ohio Republican planned to leave the 7 p.m. EST event before President Barack Obama's Speech at the memorial service for six people killed at a political event in Tucson Saturday. Another aide said the reception, hosted by Boehner's political action committee and coinciding with an...

Obama leads Arizona memorial service
TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - Thousands of people crowded an arena on Wednesday to hear President Barack Obama comfort Americans shaken by a shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. A memorial service that began with an American Indian blessing by a tribal elder was to conclude with a Speech by Obama who led a large contingent of dignitaries to the memorial service for the six killed and more than a dozen wounded. Obama began his visit to Arizona...

Obama visits wounded Giffords
TUCSON, Ariz - President Barack Obama visited wounded U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords Wednesday to begin an emotional trip to Arizona as political leaders condemned the deadly Shooting Spree in Tucson. Obama’s Motorcade carried him to University Medical Center shortly after he landed in Tucson to address a memorial service for the six killed and 14 wounded by a gunman who opened fire while Giffords met voters last Saturday. “The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by st...

President Obama: "Gabby opened her eyes" -- Debbie Wasserman Schultz was there
President Barack Obama announced Gabrielle Giffords opened her eyes today while meeting with members of Congress -- including, according to Politico, Debbie Wasserman Schultz . Also in the room, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibran d. All three were in the audience tonight as Obama spoke at the University of Arizona.   ...

Obama visits wounded Congressman Giffords
TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - President Barack Obama visited wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords on Wednesday to begin an emotional trip to Arizona as political leaders condemned the deadly Shooting Spree in Tucson. Obama's Motorcade carried him to University Medical Center shortly after he landed in Tucson to address a memorial service for the six killed and 14 wounded by a gunman who opened fire while Giffords met voters last Saturday. "The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by st...

Obama visits wounded Congresswoman Giffords
TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - President Barack Obama visited wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords on Wednesday to begin an emotional trip to Arizona as political leaders condemned the deadly Shooting Spree in Tucson. Obama's Motorcade carried him to University Medical Center shortly after he landed in Tucson to address a memorial service for the six killed and 14 wounded by a gunman who opened fire while Giffords met voters last Saturday. "The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by st...

Obama visits wounded Congressman Giffords
By Jeff Mason and Tim Gaynor TUCSON, Arizona | Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:05pm EST TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - President Barack Obama visited wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords on Wednesday to begin an emotional trip to Arizona as political leaders condemned the deadly Shooting Spree in Tucson. Obama's Motorcade carried him to University Medical Center shortly after he landed in Tucson to address a memorial service for the six killed and 14 wounded by a gunman who opened fire while Giffords me...

Obama visits wounded Congresswoman Giffords
By Jeff Mason and Tim Gaynor TUCSON, Arizona | Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:05pm EST TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - President Barack Obama visited wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords on Wednesday to begin an emotional trip to Arizona as political leaders condemned the deadly Shooting Spree in Tucson. Obama's Motorcade carried him to University Medical Center shortly after he landed in Tucson to address a memorial service for the six killed and 14 wounded by a gunman who opened fire while Giffords me...

Speaker Boehner recognizes the "embrace of brothers, sisters and countrymen"
ABC News’ Mary Compton reports: "Joining together in prayer can be a source of solace,” Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, said at a Bipartisan prayer service held this afternoon at the U.S. Capitol. In his prepared remarks Boehner recognized the loss of congressional Staffer Gabe Zimmerman, as well as the five others killed by a gunman in Tucson, Arizona, Saturday. “The senseless assault claimed the lives of six of our fellow citizens - including that of Gabe Zimmerman

House tribute to Giffords: 'Violence cannot silence'
House Speaker John Boehner has formally introduced a resolution paying tribute to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that "condemns in the strongest possible terms" the Arizona Shooting Spree that left her gravely wounded and six others dead. The four-page resolution is simply written, with sections honoring Giffords, each of the deceased, the wounded, and people such as Giffords intern Daniel Hernandez and event attendee Patricia Maisch who tried to save lives and apprehend the shooter. The first of the d...

Palin: Blaming me for Tucson shootings is 'blood libel'
on a day set aside for healing and prayer in the wake of last weekend's Mass Shooting in Tucson, all vestiges of a political armistice were shattered when Sarah Palin, the former Alaska Governor, issued a video message accusing her critics of committing "blood Libel" against her. In a nearly eight-minute video posted on Facebook that veered between defiant and defensive, the Tea Party figurehead broke her days-long silence to answer allegations that her own Rhetoric and the passions stirred by...

Colleagues Pay Tribute to Rep. Giffords
Yahoo! Buzz Rep. Gabrielle Giffords likes chocolate, especially peanut M&Ms and those little Hershey’s nuggets with almonds and toffee. That might be the most personal detail House members have shared about the Arizona Democrat during the nearly four-hour tribute to Ms. Giffords and the other Victims of the weekend shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz. And it came from a Republican. Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert , who’s known for his occasionally outlandish partisan barbs, told the chamber...

Ethics Committee debates hiring outside counsel for Waters investigation
The leading Republican and Democrat on the House Ethics Committee are debating on whether to hire outside counsel to handle the investigation of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), according to a source familiar with the internal committee proceedings. The committee considered hiring an outside counsel late last year after several turbulent months filled with missteps, partisan infighting and accusations that the attorneys on the case mishandled it. With Republicans now in the majority, new ethics ...

Pelosi was in room when Giffords opened her eyes
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, all close friends of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, were in the Hospital room with the Arizona Democrat when she opened her eyes for the first time since she was shot in the head Saturday during a rampage that killed six in Tucson, Ariz. In a Speech at a University of Arizona service for the Victims of the shootings, President Barack Obama broke the news that Giffords, who has been in critical condition si...

Congressional Voices Speak Out About Tucson
Like this Story? Share it: Katie Couric speaks to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Jim Clyburn (D - SC), Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D - FL), Rep. Michael McCaul (R - TX), Rep. Frank Guinta (R - NH) and Rep. Bill Huizenga (R - MI) about the Tucson shootings. Katie Couric speaks to members of Congress about their reaction the video released by Sarah Palin regarding the shooting in Tucson and the media surrounding it. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D - FL) talks about the impact of the Tucs...

Obama: Polarized Nation Needs Healing
TUCSON, Ariz. - Summoning the soul of a nation, President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Americans to honor those slain and injured in the Arizona shootings by becoming better people, telling a polarized citizenry that it is time to talk with each other "in a way that heals, not in a way wounds." Following a Hospital bedside visit with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the target of the Assassination, he said: "She knows we're here, and she knows we love her." In a memorably dramatic moment, the pres...

Obama leads mourning of Arizona shooting victims
TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - President Barack Obama mourned the Victims of an Arizona shooting spree on Wednesday and urged Americans not to let the debate over the tragedy be used as "one more occasion to turn on one another." In an emotional address to thousands of people who packed a Tucson arena for a memorial service, Obama said no one knew what prompted a gunman to go on a rampage that killed six people and critically wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords. He warned against seeking "sim...