The House won't take any action this week, except for resolutions relating to the shooting of Rep. Giffords and the other victims. This is the statement from Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer:
"The Republican leadership, working with the Democratic leadership, have announced that we will consider at least one resolution on the House Floor on Wednesday honoring Congresswoman Giffords, as well as honoring those who were killed in yesterday's tragic attack in Arizona. We do not anticipate any recorded votes in the House this week. We all continue to keep Congresswoman Giffords, her family, her staff, and the other victims and their families in our prayers."Remember, the House GOP leaders planned to hold the vote to repeal the health care reform bill on Wednesday. Their plan was to have that repeal vote before the President delivered the State of the Union on January 25th.
The President has called for a moment of silence today at 11:00 AM ET:
I call on Americans to observe a moment of silence to honor the innocent victims of the senseless tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, including those still fighting for their lives. It will be a time for us to come together as a nation in prayer or reflection, keeping the victims and their families closely at heart.Obama should also soon announce that he's going to be calling for unity and a more civil tone in his State of the Union address. Hopefully, that won't be met with catcalls from the GOP side of the aisle, as in the past. Obama should challenge the GOPers to solve problems, not exacerbate them with angry rhetoric.
Over 800 Capitol Hill types, including members, Congressional spouses and staffers, participated in what appears to be an unprecedented conference call to discuss the shooting and its aftermath yesterday.
