Giffords' husband to be State of the Union guest

FILE: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, before the January shooting. (AP Photo/Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords)

WASHINGTON – The White House says President Barack Obama has invited Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' husband to attend Tuesday's State of the Union address.

White House spokesman Jay Carney says the president looks forward to having Mark Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, as a guest in the first lady's box.

Carney says Obama and Kelly spoke Monday morning. He says the president thanked both Giffords and Kelly for their patriotism and dedication to the country.

Kelly's wife, the Arizona congresswoman, was shot in the head just over a year ago in an assassination attempt. She announced Sunday that she was resigning from Congress to focus on her recovery.

Giffords also plans to attend Tuesday's address.