Gabrielle Giffords Resignation: Congresswoman Officially Leaves House Of Representatives
WASHINGTON -- In an extremely moving moment on the House floor, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) submitted her resignation to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Wednesday morning after making the announcement in a video Sunday.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) began the process by asking unanimous consent to speak out of order. She then praised Giffords, calling her "the brightest star this congress has ever seen." "Your legacy in this congress and your leadership in our nation will certainly endure," she said.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Giffords' closest friend in the House, then asked her colleagues to join her in the House well. "I couldn't prepare anything this morning because I knew I wouldn't be able to hold it together very long," she said, crying. "We have all been through such a tumultuous year."
"This is only a pause in her public service she will return. ... She will return one day to public service," she said. She then proceeded to read Giffords' resignation letter.
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