Applause greets Gabby Giffords' return to House
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WASHINGTON -- It's about the only thing that could upstage a historic House vote on the debt-limit bill... Rep. Gabrielle Giffords showed up.
Only minutes remained on the vote when she slowly entered the chamber for the first time since she was shot in the head in January. Her stunned colleagues erupted in loud, sustained applause. She got hugs and kisses, mouthed “thank you's and waved. She then voted for the measure and left.
In a statement released later, Giffords said she's been “deeply disappointed at what's going on in Washington.” The Arizona Democrat said she just couldn't miss this vote. As she put it, “I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”
Vice President Joe Biden called Giffords remarkable and “the embodiment of a strong, strong, strong woman.”
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