Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Appeared on the House Floor

Guess who joined in the voting this afternoon — Gabby Giffords! Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, appeared on the House floor for the first time since January, when she was shot and critically wounded at a congressional event in her Arizona district. She voted “yea” to the bill that will raise the U.S. debt ceiling and cut trillions of dollars in federal spending.

“I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what’s going on in Washington,” Giffords said in a statement. “After weeks of failed debate in Washington, I was pleased to see a solution to this crisis emerge. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics. I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”