Obama Signs Gabrielle Giffords' Final Bill

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a final bill authored by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded in an Arizona shooting rampage a year ago.

Giffords took part in the signing ceremony at the White House. She resigned from Congress last month as she continues to recover from a gunshot wound to the head.

The legislation increases the penalties for using ultra-light aircraft when smuggling drugs into the country. The small, single-seat planes are an increasingly favored tool that smugglers use to fly at night and then release their haul without detection.

Obama said he told Giffords that he expected to see more of her in the months and years to come.

"I'm confident that, while this legislation may have been her last act as a congresswoman, it will not be her last act of public service," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

Giffords stepped down on the day the House passed her bill by a vote of 428-0.

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Comments

[KRIS52]

03:32 PM on 02/11/2012

They should never name a ship after her. Even the little girl killed would be better than her.

[Ice9]

07:06 PM on 02/11/2012

Flagged for mean spiritedness.

[jonclong]

11:12 AM on 02/11/2012

Other than requesting the military to try to provide technology to try to identify the ultra light aircraft this bill does nothing to catch, punish or prevent drug smuggling. It's nothing but an attempt to grab headlines and further the pity party for Giffords in Washington. Before anyone wants to take this statement to task, here's the link: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c112:4:./temp/~c112y1Wrqp:: You can read it yourself.

[Ice9]

07:06 PM on 02/11/2012

Sounds like you want your own pity party.

[cbaker2692]

07:59 AM on 02/11/2012

And Congress said the the wounded verterans with tha same wonds, we can't afford to treat you, you will ahve to find a way to pay for it yourself. Va treats some but not with like this. What if she had been just a plain jane citizen would she have gotten all this attention and treatment at TAXPAYERS expense. I doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Janet Cooke]

08:25 AM on 02/11/2012

Hey, we tried to get single payer, but, people who resent what others have rather than trying to improve the floor of services put that to an end.
It is ignorance and resentment that keeps the US from maintaining the position of being first in the world.

[ArKelsey]

01:29 PM on 02/11/2012

Unfortunately, the most resentful ones seem to be the well-to-do class who believe the poor deserve to have nothing beyond food, water and a cardboard box as long as they are poor. It was rich politicians who refused to even consider a single payer system.

[Marie Jackie]

09:42 AM on 02/11/2012

cbaker2692: She deserves the care she will receive for a long time. I remember the military vets having to fight for treatment and even help for their families. Naming a ship after her is over the top. We have had war heros die saving their own troops which deserves to be named. The Democrats have already taken care of themselves.

[motherbird2]

10:08 AM on 02/11/2012

No need of all this attention. She made the choice to be a congresswoman and having a tidbit of a speech. What about the other people who were killed and wounded ? They are nothing ? I feel it is very wrongt to just give her all of this attention and the rest nothing. What about our troops who give their lives ? I am sick to death of this woman and will be happy when she is retired for good. Favoritism is not nice and this is what she is gettig. She was a public servant that got shot in an ambuse wiith others. If you can honor her like they have, Then they can honor the rest of them. Goodbye Gifford. I will be happy not to hear your name again. There were others hurt besides you amd many a veteran lays in his grave the HERO. Not you. You should be ashamed to accept all of this attention. No humility in you, is there ?

[crazybobmt]

10:40 AM on 02/11/2012

LOTSA VETS ARE WAREHOUSED AND WORSE..when it's time for work on me the money will be gone

[qsfoxx]

07:40 AM on 02/11/2012

Is there a double standard here with regard to gender? If Giffords had not been a woman, would the press coverage have been the same? I get the feeling that it's like, "Oh! You poor little thing!"

[coverstone1]

08:55 AM on 02/11/2012

I do believe that the press coverage would have been the nearly the same. As you may recall the aftermath of the assasination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan. James Brady was critically wounded and survived the assault and was also THE ONE who received the preponderance of press coverage (aside from the President of course).

[qsfoxx]

09:15 AM on 02/11/2012

Perhaps... but anything connected with an attempted Presidential assinatation is bound to get more coverage than otherwise.

[Marie Jackie]

09:46 AM on 02/11/2012

qsfoxx. No, the emotions may have not been the same after a while, but that's only natural. I know liberals like to lump men and women the same, but that is not truthful.

[qsfoxx]

10:37 AM on 02/11/2012

Definitely not the way reality is. I just like to get into their face once in awhile to make them think for a change. lol

[Wake Up Call]

06:26 AM on 02/11/2012

America's answer to everything - more prison time. It solves NOTHING, fools.

[hart42rich]

07:57 AM on 02/11/2012

Your probably right, we could move them all to your community.

[Marie McClusky]

08:24 AM on 02/11/2012

Hmmmmmmmm .. could you be defending those who bring drugs into this country ??? Hmm now let me think why someone would do that

[mo524]

03:48 PM on 02/11/2012

Because some of us are not retarded and we learned the lesson from the prohibition you make it ilegale it becomes expensive then people kill for it. I have never heard of anyone being killed in a beer buy gone bad but when it was not legal you sure did. Now at the same time cocaine was legal and you did not hear anything about anyone being killed in cocaine buy gone bad.

[speedydan79]

05:24 AM on 02/11/2012

Pushback over the ruling on birth control, controversy over the U.S. Marines posing with a Nazi symbol in Afghanistan--thank God for Gabby!

[Enimal57]

04:01 AM on 02/11/2012

Ignore the trolls. They are out looking for their nickels.

[Jim Pasterczyk]

03:47 AM on 02/11/2012

428-0. I guess the GOP actually can act when it doesn't let its politics get in the way of doing their job.

[DomLucey]

04:27 AM on 02/11/2012

Anyone voting against a bill by Giffords would be a pariah in the halls of Congress forever! Besides it's a good law. However, while I believe Giffords is very brave and strong and deserves great admiration for her attitude regarding her long recovery, I do not believe she is a hero who should have a ship named after her. She is the victim of a horrible crime. It might be more appropriate to name the ship after those who were killed that day.

[goldmauione]

08:31 AM on 02/11/2012

ALL ships are named after somebody-DEAD presidents, senators, congressmen etc. Nothing wrong with naming a ship after somebody who is still alive.

[motherbird2]

10:19 AM on 02/11/2012

RIGHT ON BABY, RIGHT ON. A ridicules thing to do. NO. She did not deserve all of this and the others nothing. Her flier husband could not give up being captain of the last flight to be with his shot wife. Looks to me like they are birds of a feather looking for glory, that did not belong to them. SAD to slap the others in the face like they did. I truthfully am ashamed of the Giffords.

[crazybobmt]

10:44 AM on 02/11/2012

or our money

[Mr-Mikey]

01:49 AM on 02/11/2012

Petty and Mean spirited comments by people on the right? Say it ain't so Joe... Sheesh you republicans an your inability to just let this slide.

Her last act as a congresswoman, an all you people can manage to do is attack.. attack.. attack. Show some compassion... Have a nice night.

[Janet Anderson]

05:54 AM on 02/11/2012

Compassion?????? Sorry to say that word is not in their vocabulary or in their hearts. It's hate, hate, hate...The vultures are already swarming, conspiring to get her seat.

[jrwat372]

12:12 PM on 02/11/2012

oh, you mean other liberal dempcrats

[Ystorm]

09:45 AM on 02/11/2012

I am a republican. Did I attack anyone in this message group? No. I think that you judge everyone by a few.

[chiles1129]

01:04 AM on 02/11/2012

If we had just elected John McCain, we could have had a 1600 mile, multi-billion dollar fence to keep everyone out. I know my fence keep the groundhogs off of my property.

[Mr Self Thinker]

01:31 AM on 02/11/2012

LOL Good one

[DomLucey]

04:29 AM on 02/11/2012

Do you live on the border?

[chiles1129]

09:57 PM on 02/12/2012

yes, but not that one. My comment was made in jest anyway. A wall won't stop people from entering our country illegally.

[al pambuena]

12:49 AM on 02/11/2012

too bad this final bill, is not that relevant, every law that has come out of arizona, to combat the drug, and illegal alien problem, has been shot down by the administration. i suppose it is a nice gesture, but the drug problem, and the illegal alien problem, are the same. i would have introduced a bill to place a few dozen missle batteries, hire some former military snipers, and place a few thousand mines, along the fence...........now thatsa bill.

[deborahehill]

01:48 AM on 02/11/2012

Or a DEBT.

[Janet Anderson]

05:56 AM on 02/11/2012

just a debt. The Mexicans will just pay off the guards...because they, the guards, don't make enough to support their families.

[DomLucey]

04:32 AM on 02/11/2012

I'm with you. I would love to see National Guardsmen stationed along our border every 20 feet with orders to shoot to kill. Of course we would post signs warning invaders first. We would need to print them in many languages because some coming across are from India and China and Arab countries.

[Jeff Haley]

05:16 AM on 02/11/2012

I was in El Paso just the other day, and a caravan of Arabs on Camels were trying to smuggle their arms into Texas. Not to mention their Legs too!

[helmheadwwii]

09:11 AM on 02/11/2012

wow maybe you should just move to China comrade.

[dancerctry]

12:01 AM on 02/11/2012

that's a good (and important) one to be her final law.

[kpamesa]

12:00 AM on 02/11/2012

Way to go Gabby! Here's to a long and happy life with your husband!

[gbrooks]

01:27 AM on 02/11/2012

Cheering on the drug war?

I give up.

[dbonedig]

09:59 PM on 02/10/2012

Did not humans, die that day! I don't really know, I guess we have forgotten them. Best of luck to the survivors of those Historical Moments in History! So Sad, for those who didn't continue!

[realpragmatist]

12:11 AM on 02/11/2012

Very good point. A great fan of Gabby and President Obama for all the good things they do and for all the right reasons, let us not forget the other heroes who died that day who should not be unsung heroes and in ways more important that even these two for the ultimate sacrifice that they had to make. I do not support the action of the shooter but feel for his mental illness and the pain of his parents for who he is the only son.

[MAyresify]

03:51 AM on 02/12/2012

Heroes? Surely you jest.

[crazybobmt]

10:52 AM on 02/11/2012

didn't they die campaigning??

[JFoxCPT]

09:31 PM on 02/10/2012

Two gracious and intelligent people, former Representative Giffords and President Obama, who truly care about the well being of this country.

[BczIsSo]

10:39 PM on 02/10/2012

You win the dim comment of the day if you think obama cares about the peple of this country. You don't pay attention to what is actually going on in the world.

[ravatar252]

11:07 PM on 02/10/2012

Rose colored blinders.....

[dsb1252]

11:10 PM on 02/10/2012

Your ignorance is absolutely stunning.

[lengua99]

10:40 PM on 02/10/2012

Thanks for the laugh, about Obama. Guess the Special Olympics and KY don't count?



MARC