Boehner Calls Up House Resolution Honoring Tucson Victims, Responders

An emotional Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, took to the house floor Wednesday with a speech calling up a resolution honoring those killed and wounded in Saturday's shooting at a "Congress on Your Corner" event hosted by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in Tucson. Giffords is one of the wounded and remains in critical condition.

"We're thankful, so thankful that Gabby is still with us," Boehner said fighting back tears. "Our hearts are broken, but our spirit is not. This is a time for the House to lock arms in prayer for the fallen and the wounded and resolve to carry on a dialogue of democracy."

The resolution condemns the shooting and says the House "Expresses its hope for the rapid and complete recovery of those wounded in the shooting," and it "honors the memory of Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabriel Zimmerman," the six people killed in Saturday's shooting.

First responders and those who helped subdue the gunman were also noted in the resolution and Boehner pointed out their contributions. "The brutality that shattered Saturday morning's calm was devastating but brief. Bravery and quick thinking prevented a larger massacre, turning innocent bystanders into heroes."Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., followed Boehner saying, "May this resolution remind us of the urgent need to uphold our democratic values, to treat one another with courtesy and with respect and to act, as Congresswoman Giffords has always done, in a manner that reflects the best of American leadership."

The House is expected to pass the resolution by unanimous consent or voice vote on Wednesday afternoon.