Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down (2022) Movie Script

So many people hurt.

A lot of people died.

Always connected to them.

Grateful to survive.

I'm alive.

And she was

lying in the grass

And she could hear

the highway breathing

And she could see

a nearby factory

She's making sure

she is not dreaming

See the lights

of a neighbor's house

Now she's starting to rise...

This 30-year-old

has accomplished

a lot of things

in a short amount of time:

college, graduate school,

a number of years

owning and operating

El Campo Tires here in town.

I'm Gabrielle Giffords.

Race into El Campo Tire

and Service Center today

before this offer's gone.

And now

this ambitious woman

is working

at the state capitol

as one of Arizona's

youngest lawmakers.

I'm running

for Congress because, frankly,

I believe that our country

is going

in the wrong direction.

There's a lot of bickering,

and we're not

getting the job done.

And that's why I think

the change can't wait.

I'm a third-generation

southern Arizonan,

and if there's one thing

I know

is the people of this state

are sick

and tired

of the partisanship,

and they want a representative

that is going to

reach across the aisle

and get the job done.

There is no turning it around

at this point. You won.

This is a victory

for all of us tonight.

Not just the Democrats

but the Independents,

the Republicans,

the Greens, the Libertarians,

and the vegetarians.

I want to thank

each and every one of you.

- We're sending

a message to -

a change can't wait.

Joining us now

is Representative Gabrielle

Giffords, Democrat, Arizona.

During your campaign,

some of your photos

and everything

showed your fiancé,

Mark Kelly, who is who?

Um, he's an astronaut.

Representative

Gabrielle Giffords

is surely the only lawmaker

whose email box is filled

with love notes from space.

Morning, it's a really

good morning in space.

I'd like to thank

my wonderful wife, Gabrielle.

I rise today to make clear

the immediate need

for a comprehensive

immigration reform package.

I rise today

to express a strong support

for the College Student

Relief Act.

I rise today

to pay tribute to the women

who have served our country

with honor and distinction.

Gabby was a star.

She might decide

to run for Senate.

She might decide

to run for governor.

She might decide

to run for president someday.

Gabby?

Sweetie.

Can you take my ring off?

Are you able to do that?

This is your room.

You got the date on the wall.

"Thursday, January 27th.

"Memorial Hermann TIRR,

Houston, Texas."

Let me come around here.

Can you give me a thumbs-up?

Can you give a thumbs-up

to the camera?

Now the very latest

on the recovery

of Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords.

She's beginning

several months of rehab

less than three weeks

after being shot in the brain.

Congresswoman Giffords

was the target

of the mass shooting

outside a Tucson supermarket.

Congresswoman Giffords

was flown from Tucson

to Houston to start the next

phase of her recovery.

Of course, we're all praying

for the congresswoman.

Can you smile, sweetie?

Oh, that's not...

That wasn't a smile.

That's better.

That is better.

Gabby, big thumbs-up.

How about two fingers?

All right. Give me five.

I'm extremely hopeful

that Gabby's gonna make

a full recovery.

I've told her that.

She's a strong person,

a fighter.

I mean, she is a fighter

like nobody else that I know.

DR.Gabby's alert,

awake. She's moving her lips.

Whether she's gonna try

to mouth words or not,

we're gonna have to wait

a little longer to see.

She had a bullet wound

that entered

the left side of her brain

from the front

toward the back.

By looking at where the bullet

enters the skull,

goes through the brain,

and exits,

you can definitely project

the deficits that will occur.

Expressive language

is mostly centered right here

in the back part of what

we call our frontal lobe.

In Gabby's case,

that area

is completely damaged.

It was completely unknown

whether she'd be able

to speak again or not.

Take a look here,

so you can see what this...

What your little boo-boo

looks like here.

I thought,

at some point,

whether it was a year

or 10 years later,

Gabby was gonna want to see

what she went through.

So I got a friend of mine

to pick up a camera

and a tripod,

and we just started filming.

Some of this stuff is gonna

seem kind of silly, Gabby.

But I want to see if you can

do these things for me.

So you pick.

Do you want the...

red one or the pink one?

You pick.

Typically,

with an injury to the brain

with a gunshot wound,

survival is not likely.

It's less than 10%

that they would even survive.

You try it.

Gabby was...

significantly impaired.

So here's a Kleenex.

I want you to blow it

to move the Kleenex.

Okay? You try.

I want you

to pucker your lips.

Can you make it move?

You're talking to somebody

on the phone.

They're not gonna be able

to hear you

if you just say...

So you have to turn your

voice on and tell them, "Ah."

Let me hear it.

Okay, open your mouth.

Is that hard, Gabby?

Is that hard for you to do?

We'll get there.

Gabby suffered

from aphasia,

which is

a language impairment.

So, difficulty

comprehending language

and expressing language.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, happy birthday

Happy birthday to...

And at one point,

we were in her hospital room,

and she suddenly realized

the significance

of her situation.

And it was like

a panic attack,

like, just crying

uncontrollably

and just scared.

Like, just terrified.

I mean,

speaking and communicating

with people were, like,

everything to her.

-Want to try that one?

Music for Gabby

was a great way

to tap into language.

It's not just

in that left hemisphere

like the language

primarily is.

Music is in different areas

of the brain

across both hemispheres.

So when there's been damage

to the language center,

there are still music centers

within the brain

that are still preserved.

The jazz version.

Gabby is a very

musically-inclined person.

She has a history of singing

and being in shows.

Thrilling combination

Playing

the French horn...

Forget the rest

So we used

music therapy.

So an update

for you now

on Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords' recovery.

Her husband, Mark Kelly,

did send us a tweet, quote,

"Today was a huge day for GG.

Lots of progress!"

My name is Gabby

Perfect.

Good morning, Gabby

Gabby, how do you do?

Just like that.

Well, good morning

Gabby.

Gabby,

how do you do?

Well, she's feeling

-Bad.

Gabby had a great

sense of humor.

You could just really sense

that her personality...

I knew her personality

was still there.

How are you?

-Chicken.

-One of the things

that Gabby

really struggled with

with her aphasia

was perseverations.

How are you?

-Chicken.

-Gabby.

Chicken.

Try not to say "chicken,"

okay?

-Chicken.

-A perseveration

is when somebody

gets stuck on a word.

You perseverate on it.

How are you?

-Chicken.

-Mm-mm.

We have no idea

where "chicken" came from.

Set the...

Chicken.

Gabby said "chicken" a lot.

Chicken. Chicken.

-Okay, watch me.

-Yes.

-Set the...

-Like berry chicken.

-...table.

-Like berry chicken.

-Okay, set the table.

-Like...

-Set the table.

-Uh... Table.

That's right. Good job.

-So what do you call this?

-Yes.

-The...

-Table.

That's right. Good job.

Answer the...

Uh... Giffords?

Yes.

You are not allowed

to quit on me.

-Gabby? Ready?

Chicken, chicken, chicken.

-Answer the...

-Chicken.

-Hey. Answer the...

-Yes.

-Phone.

-Excellent.

-Yeah, it's Mark's birthday.

-Yes.

-So, let's practice that one.

-Yes.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear

-Chicken.

You better not say that

on his birthday.

-Baseball...

-Hack.

-Is it a hack?

-Yes.

-Or a hat?

-Yes.

Okay, let's try it again.

Frustration

is a normal part

of the grieving process

when you've had

an injury like this.

Gabby, are you frustrated?

Can I tell you something?

It is gonna get better.

Okay?

It's frustrating right now,

but it is gonna get better.

You have come a long way

in five weeks.

I wanted to cry with her.

I wanted to cry for her.

Here you go.

But I also knew that's not

what she needed from me.

Do you need a hug?

She needed me

to be strong for her.

-Hmm?

You want a hug?

Come here.

Gabby,

you're doing amazing, okay?

I know it's frustrating.

I know it's frustrating,

but are you gonna

get through it?

-Yes.

-Say it like a congresswoman.

-Yes.

Are you gonna get through it?

-Yes.

The dream for Gabby

at that time

was to go back to Congress.

Gabby! Gabby!

This district is over

9,000 square miles.

We have over 345 precincts.

And I'm just excited to have

the support that I have.

I've seen many people

run for office

locally and nationally.

I've never seen anybody

quite like her.

Our office manager

came up

with the best description.

She said, "When you meet her,

you get Gabbified."

And it's so true.

Hey, how are you?

JAMES E.

My campaign people told me

that she had a chance

at winning the seat

that we had failed

to win before.

And I went out to Tucson

and I spent time with her,

campaigned with her.

She was someone

with whom

I felt almost

an immediate kindred spirit.

She had a way

of putting everybody at ease.

She was pretty much

a centrist.

That's what you had to be

to succeed

in this part of the state.

If an idea is a good idea,

it's a good idea.

Doesn't matter whether or not

it's a Republican idea

or a Democrat idea.

By stressing her

commitment to border security

in this Arizona

border district,

she's undercutting the appeal

of her Republican opponents.

But she also had

progressive policies.

She was pro-choice,

for example.

She believes so strongly

that people in this country

ought to have health care

as a right, not a privilege.

...health care,

the most costly

economic challenge

confronting our families.

Although

politics weren't

as divided then

as they are now,

they were still

pretty divided.

And so whenever

you saw someone

who could bridge

the partisan gap

and speak to people in a way

that felt authentic,

that was something

that was really prized.

-All right, ready?

-Yeah.

You know it's a badass

stick shift, right?

A young person

with some great ideas,

with a huge heart.

Gabrielle Giffords

has never forgotten

who she works for.

My job's to help people

right here.

We all believed

that the next step for Gabby

was to run for Senate.

I'm Gabrielle Giffords,

and I approve this message.

In fact,

the schedule was,

the day after the shooting,

that she and I were

flying back to Washington

to start planning out

her next move.

She had the energy

and ambition, I think,

to have gone

really far in politics.

One, two, three, up.

-Up.

-Perfect.

DR.Gabby was partially

paralyzed on her right side.

She might be able

to walk again.

Go. Go. Good.

DR.

But it was very unlikely

that she was going to be able

to have significant use

of her right arm.

Ah, there it is. There it is.

There it is.

Hold it. Hold it.

Oh, girls,

they wanna have fun

Oh, girls just wanna have fun

They wanna have fun

I remember each morning

walking into the hospital

and being so excited to go up

to Gabby's room.

'Cause I felt like each day,

I knew there would be

something new

that she would be able to do.

January, February, March...

...April, May, June, July...

Can you take your glasses off,

and we'll get your helmet?

No.

She had to wear a helmet

when she moved around,

which she did not like.

Boo, boo, boo.

We can't

take that risk.

That helmet was

the substitute for her skull

to protect her brain.

When she first had her injury,

she had some

of her skull removed

to help release the pressure

as the brain swells.

Gabby's injury was beyond

what most of us can imagine.

And spouses and families

all can respond

in different ways.

On a bright and sunny day

-On the back of a crocodile

Our family's approach

was to be with Gabby

in the hospital

as much as possible.

"I'll ride him down the Nile"

Gabby's mom and dad

came to Houston,

moved into a friend's house.

Her mom was able to be

in the hospital

every single day.

At the end of

the ride, the lady was inside

The smile was on the crocodile

-Whoa. All right.

-Good job!

This is

a good time for...

Maybe we'll bring this in.

This is a break.

Oh, my goodness.

Mark was always

the one advocating

not only for her medical care,

but for her emotional

needs as well.

-Wow.

He hung signs

on the door

about kind of the rules

that he expected.

That's your

favorite flower.

-Yes.

-Stuff like,

"Don't cry. Be positive."

They're not roses. They're...

Tupilucks.

-Tulips.

-Yes.

Don't assume

that she doesn't understand

what you're talking about,

because she probably does.

-You tell Mark, "I..."

-Love you.

-Mm-hmm.

-Yes.

Gabby had no memory

of what happened to her.

She didn't know

she was shot in the head.

I had some advice

from her doctors

not to give her specifics

until she asks.

There was a point

in the hospital,

I remember, where she said,

"What is happening to me?"

What she really wanted to know

was more details

about what happened

on the day she was injured.

Hi, this is

your congresswoman,

Gabrielle Giffords,

inviting you

to a one-on-one meeting.

I am hosting

Congress on Your Corner

this Saturday

at the Safeway

located at North Oracle.

Congress on Your

Corner was an effective way

to meet with constituents.

We did 21 Congress

on Your Corner events,

the last one

being on January 8, 2011.

I'll be there

with my staff

from- 00 to- 30 a.m.

to meet with you in person

and answer

any of your questions

about what's going on

in Congress.

It was

my first week as an intern

for Gabby, and I was asked,

"Can you come in on Saturday

to help out with an event?"

I got a robocall

on Friday afternoon.

"Come to the Safeway

"and tell me how government

can work better for you."

I called my girlfriend

and said,

"Does anybody in your house

want to come with me?"

Everybody was busy

but Christina.

Christina-Taylor

was nine years old.

She was smart as a whip.

She was

on the student council.

Again, this is Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords,

and I hope to meet with you

in person this Saturday.

So the two of us

got in the car

and drove over.

I actually went

to the wrong Safeway.

So by the time I got there,

the setup was all done.

First person I see

is Gabe Zimmerman,

who's our boss

at the intern program.

And Gabe just smiles at me,

and he's like,

"Next time,

try and be on time."

Gabe was my go-to guy

for just about everything.

Young man, 30 years old,

just engaged.

We got in line,

and we were talking

about government.

We counted

the 435 representatives,

and I said, "Christina-Taylor,

"you're going to meet

one of them."

And then Gabby

got out of the car.

She was

in a great mood.

She was excited to see people,

to hear from them.

'Cause Gabby often said

that the term

"representative"

is a job description,

meaning that you have to hear

from people

that you represent

if you're gonna

represent them.

We started

Congress on Your Corner

promptly at00,

took our positions.

I looked to the left,

and I saw Judge John Roll.

He stepped into the area

where we were standing.

And it wasn't

two seconds later

that the shooting started.

I was holding Christina's hand

and looking at Gabby

standing in front

of the American flag

and the Arizona state flag.

And she just slid.

The shooter turned

the gun on me and Judge Roll,

and it was this pop,

pop, pop, pop sound.

I went down. John went down.

Gabby was already down

on the ground.

Then I saw the blood

pooling up.

911, where's your emergency?

- It's Giffords.

- Hello?

Hello?

911, there was

a shooting at Safeway.

Okay,

what do you mean?

Where

Gabrielle Giffords was.

And I do believe

Gabrielle Giffords was hit.

-Oh, my God, my God.

I could see the gunmen

still shooting into the people

who are up against the wall

and lined up.

Looked like the guy

had a semiautomatic pistol,

and he went in,

he just started firing,

and then he ran.

The next thing

that I remember

is Gabe Zimmerman

falling between myself

and Gabby at our feet.

And his face

was turned towards me.

And I could see he was dead.

I have a person

shot here.

I get

to the front of the line,

and I see Ron Barber,

and I see that he has at least

one injury in his leg

and then another one

somewhere on his face.

And he says,

"Don't worry about me.

"Go help Gabby."

How many people?

We have about

a total of 10 people,

maybe more. Oh, my God.

Gabby was hunched

over on the ground,

and I could only find

one injury,

and that was a gunshot wound

to her head.

I get behind her,

and I hug her

up against my body

to stabilize her

and to use my hand to try

and stop any blood loss.

I remember saying,

"I've been shot,"

and lying on the ground,

holding Christina's hand,

and...

Then I heard the sirens.

This was a horrific scene.

Several of the victims

had multiple gunshot wounds.

There was rounds that were

traveling at a high speed

that were going through

not only

the victims' bodies,

but they were going

into the building itself

and striking against

the back of the building.

And I said, "Gabby,

I'm gonna try and call Mark."

And she squeezed my hand

when I mentioned Mark.

And I said,

"Let me see what I can do

"to make sure that Mark knows

that you've been hurt."

My phone rings,

and it's Gabby's

Chief of Staff,

who says to me,

"Mark, I don't know

how to tell you this,

"but Gabby has been shot."

The first thing that went

through my head is,

"I'm sure she's all right.

"She was probably

shot in the arm, right?"

And then I thought to myself,

"Did that really just happen?

"Did I, like,

really get that phone call?"

I called her back, and I said,

"Tell me that again?"

And that's when she told me

Gabby was not shot in the arm.

She was shot in the head.

All right,

here's what we know.

A shooting has taken place

in Tucson, Arizona,

at a grocery store.

It was an event

in which Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords

was taking part.

Eyewitnesses say

that she was shot,

as were a number

of other people,

perhaps up to a dozen

people or more, according...

My dad came into my room

and told my little sister

and me

that Gabby was shot.

I remember thinking that

that was it.

And just, like,

an overwhelming,

like, wave of guilt, really.

I didn't have a close

relationship with Gabby.

I remember being little

and not being

very excited that she was

coming to visit,

knowing that it was gonna be

a different version

of spending time with my dad.

He noticed that we would

refer to her

as "her" in the room

and not just, like, Gabby

or just address her there.

We are waiting

for the police information

officer...

I lived in Texas

close to the

Johnson Space Center.

Obviously, I had to get

to Tucson in a hurry.

I, you know, had a friend

who could fly us there.

My mom went with us,

my kids...

We do not know

her condition right now.

We do not

have the conditions

of any of those...

We just kept

watching the news

over and over again.

You do see

what appear to be bodies

on the ground.

Correct.

We get about halfway

to Tucson,

and that's when news stations,

you know,

pronounced Gabby dead.

NPR is now reporting

that Congresswoman Gabrielle

Giffords is, in fact, dead.

One very reliable

source on Capitol Hill

confirming that Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords has died.

That was the first time I saw

my dad break down ever.

To me, it felt like

the world was gonna end.

...knew and loved Gabrielle...

I was...

like, devastated and shocked.

And I remember

getting up out of my seat

and going into the bathroom.

It's just

a tremendous loss

for the nation

and for our community.

Just a surreal

30 minutes.

And then they came back

and said,

"Well, no,

she's actually not."

I can tell you right now

that Gabrielle Giffords

is currently in surgery.

You say that she is alive

and has gone into surgery?

Six others,

including a federal judge

and a nine-year-old girl,

died in the attack.

A dozen people were injured.

As he tried to reload,

authorities say the suspect

was tackled by two men

while 61-year-old

Patricia Maisch

made another critical move.

I was able

to reach the magazine

that he had pulled out

of his pocket.

22-year-old

Jared Lee Loughner

is in custody.

She went from trauma

surgery to brain surgery.

When I went into the ICU room

for the first time,

she was pretty much

unrecognizable.

And she was unconscious,

obviously.

The trauma surgeon said

she's gonna survive.

But beyond that, they couldn't

give us any assurances.

In theory, she could have been

in a coma forever.

I have come here

tonight as an American

who, like all Americans,

kneels to pray with you today

and will stand by you

tomorrow.

I have just come from

the University Medical Center,

where our friend Gabby

courageously fights

to recover even as we speak.

Gabby, we see you're

trying to open your eyes.

Can you open your eyes,

sweetie?

We're right here.

When we heard

that Gabby had been shot,

we were heartbroken

and scared.

I already knew Gabby well,

knew Mark.

And when I visited with Gabby,

she was out

and uncommunicative.

And I want to tell you...

A few minutes

after we left her room

and some of her colleagues

from Congress

were in the room,

Gabby opened her eyes

for the first time.

Gabby opened her eyes

for the first time.

- Oh, my goodness!

- Yes!

-Move your thumbs up.

-Yes!

- Thumbs up, come on.

- Thumbs up.

Even in the darkest,

most difficult times,

there's always

that glimmer of hope

that we can cling to.

We cannot

and will not be passive

in the face of such violence.

We should be willing to

challenge old assumptions

in order to lessen

the prospects

of such violence

in the future.

There are almost

no countries

outside of war zones

that have

the kind of armaments

in the hands of civilians

that you see in America.

There is a cultural attachment

to the idea of guns

and firearms

as being wrapped up

in freedom.

But partly, frankly,

you have a cynical combination

of gun and armaments

manufacturers and an NRA

that has successfully

mobilized

at a grassroots level

and is able to stoke fear.

I want to be clear.

That tragedy in Tucson

was a terrible crime.

And my heart,

and I know yours does too,

goes out to all the victims

and their loved ones.

But it's time

for some frank talk.

The media

and the political elites

want us to believe

that if we just pass

another law or two,

we can stop a madman

bent on violence.

When they tell you

that a government ban

on certain firearms

or magazines

will somehow make you safer,

don't you buy it,

not for one second.

I want you to try

to scream it out.

Say, "Now I'm free!"

We want to hear your voice.

Now I'm free

Free falling

When Gabby

was in the hospital,

I would have this

recurring dream

of things

being back to normal.

Hi, honey, it's me.

I'm on a bike ride right now.

Having a great time.

It's a beautiful day.

It's a little bit chilly,

but not too cold.

And I'm wishing

that you were here with me.

Look at them.

It's like her injury

never happened.

Did you see that?

Two coyotes. Awesome.

It was, like,

one of those great dreams.

It was like, this is...

This is awesome.

You know, this is now past us,

and things are back to normal.

But then you wake up.

When will they

make a decision

on your flight, sir?

I was the commander

of the final flight

of space shuttle Endeavour

at the time,

and we were

just a few months away

from launching.

I had been working

at that point

for probably about 13,

14 years as an astronaut.

Commander Mark Kelly

seconds away now

from the small firing

of the reaction

control system jets.

Gabby knew

the risk involved.

I mean, she was there for me

for three of my spaceflights.

We would talk about the odds.

Turns out,

she had the risky job.

At a NASA briefing

this afternoon,

shuttle commander Mark Kelly

is expected to announce

that he will go ahead

and command

the shuttle Endeavour

when it launches.

Gabby's improving

much quicker

than the doctors expected.

One of her doctors

the other day said,

"This is a one percentile

kind of improvement."

So, I started to think

about the mission,

and I ultimately

made the decision

that I would like to return

and command STS-134.

Ground Control to Major Tom

Right there.

Take your protein pills

and put your helmet on...

Forward and up...

I would go to work

all day.

I'd come back and spend

the evening at the hospital.

Commencing countdown,

engines on

Check ignition and may

God's love be with you...

The Space Shuttle

Endeavour should dock

with the International

Space Station

Wednesday morning.

This is its final mission.

I was rendezvousing

with the Space Station.

It's a very complicated

procedure.

And doing all this while

Gabby's getting brain surgery.

DR.

She needed a cranioplasty,

and that's replacing

the part of the skull

that was removed.

Gabby was also developing

a serious condition

called hydrocephalus that

could hamper her recovery.

So, we needed

to do the surgery

while Mark was up in space.

She was literally

going to be

in the operating room

while we were docking

with the International

Space Station.

COT-OCT,

I have you loud and clear.

Good morning, boss.

The whole thing

was a big exercise

in compartmentalization.

That whole procedure

on the day you're going

to dock lasts for hours.

So, I just have to,

at least

for this period of time,

forget about the surgery.

DR.We had a special

type of CT scan

that gives information

about the shape

of Gabby's skull.

And then the prosthetic

is made to fit it perfectly.

I am manually trying

to fly these two vehicles,

eventually within

two inches of each other

when they're both going

17,500 miles an hour.

DR.We have a large

part of the skull exposed.

We can see the curvature.

If you're not focused,

if you skip something,

you screw something up,

the problems you could induce

are not easily recoverable.

DR.

That prosthetic has to fit

like a hand in glove.

Houston and Station,

capture Is confirmed.

Docking went off

without a hitch.

On the Space Station,

we have what's called

an Internet protocol phone,

and I had the neurosurgeon's

cell phone number,

so, I called him.

I told him that the surgery

went well,

and that he didn't

need to worry.

Hello from the International

Space Station.

I'm looking forward

to coming home.

Tell my wife I love her

very much. She knows.

Houston,

Endeavor, runway's in sight.

Make your touchdown.

Shuttle commander Mark Kelly

led its 25th and final flight.

Okay, it'll be a little

bit more. Here it comes.

Ta-da! Here it comes.

-Wow!

-There she is!

-DR.Wow!

-That looks great.

Look at you! That does

look awesome. Wow!

DR.Oh, your head

looks so good.

Beautiful.

DR.It does.

It looks perfect, huh?

Perfect.

Yeah, that's...

Astronaut Mark Kelly

says he is retiring from NASA

to take care of his wife,

Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords.

Good stuff.

I made a decision that

that was time for me

to retire from the Navy

and to leave NASA.

Good news

about Congresswoman

Gabby Giffords.

She was discharged today

from the Houston hospital

where she's been

undergoing rehab.

- Taking some naps. Good.

- Sit on the couch.

-Watch Washington.

-Ah.

-Keep up with what's going on.

-Yes. Yes.

-In Washington.

-Yes.

Gabby

was still in Congress.

Her staff was in communication

with her,

and we would

talk about things,

and she would kind of

give her approval.

So, she was still pretty much

directing traffic

at that time with us.

Now for more on our top story,

the long-awaited vote

to raise the debt ceiling.

Gabby Giffords,

making her way back

to the Capitol

to vote in favor

of the debt deal.

She made the decision

to travel to D.C.

to vote on the bill that would

raise the debt ceiling.

Question is, will the House

suspend the rules

and pass the bill as amended?

It was a critical vote.

I mean, you're talking

about the ability

of our country

to pay its bills.

I was standing

in the back of the chamber.

I can still see her

very laboriously

going to vote.

It was a very,

very emotional moment.

It was

like she parted the waters,

and I think

the entire congressional

community was behind her.

Congresswoman

Gabby Giffords,

her presence brings honor

to this chamber.

Thank you, Gabby.

January of 2012,

a year after the shooting,

Gabby called us all together,

her senior staff

from Tucson and from D.C.

And it was obvious that

a big decision had to be made.

My recommendation was

Gabby stay in office

for the rest of the year.

She said, "You know,

the people who elected me

"need someone

who can give them 100%."

Action.

Gotta step down.

The people, Arizona.

Step down, people, Arizona.

Right now.

I have work to do.

Work to do. Work to do.

Work to do.

Work...

Step down.

Step, the Congress,

this year.

The USS Gabby Giffords.

-The ship.

-The ship named after you.

- Stealthy.

- Tough.

It's very stealthy.

Stealthy, awesome.

Yep.

Gabby's helmet.

The helmet

that she had to wear

because they took off

part of her skull.

And this is the piece of skull

that was removed

from the side of her head

when she was shot right here.

So, this is the model

that they built

the plate out of.

That look about right?

And then, the real skull...

This stays...

this stays in here

next to the empanadas...

...and the sliced mango.

"Don't touch."

It says, "Do not discard.

Not trash."

And then this is what remains

Gabby's skull.

You know,

when she was in the hospital,

I just happened

to ask the doctor

what they were

going to do with it.

And he says, "Well, what

do you want to do with it?"

I said, "I asked Gabby,

and she said, 'Keep it.'"

"Keep it."

I mean,

that's part of your head.

-But I think the...

-Sera, sera.

Good way to put it.

What's the rest of that song?

-"Whatever will be, will be"?

-...will be.

Good night.

When I was

just a little girl

I asked my mother,

"What will I be?"

My dream for Gabby

was that she'd be independent.

I remember

when she rode a horse...

When they fall off,

they make them

get back on the horse,

and finish the course.

Que sera sera

Whatever will be will be...

She has a sister, Melissa,

who was just hell on wheels.

And Gabby

was always standing back

to see if Melissa

-got in trouble.

-Yes.

You liked being a little goody

-two-shoes all the time.

-Yes. Yeah, yes.

She went to Scripps

which is a woman's college.

It's an honor

to be asked here

back to Scripps today.

This college where I learned

so much about myself

and life in the world.

She decided

to go to Cornell

for graduate school.

I think she did that

on purpose

to get away from her parents.

I was offered

a high-paying job

in New York City.

It was a top accounting firm.

It was the beginning

of a grand

and glittering adventure

in the big city.

But then an unexpected phone

call came from my father.

He needed me to come home

to help him manage

my family's tire

and automotive company.

Hi, I'm Gabrielle Giffords.

For 50 years,

El Campo Tire

has meant reliable service

and great value.

El Campo Tires.

You came home to run the shop.

Yep.

We weren't making any money.

And what did you do?

Sold it. Big money.

-I know.

-Yes, big money.

Boom. Boom.

But, you know, I ended up

running for office in 2000,

not because I ever wanted

to be a politician.

Frankly, I just got

sick and tired

of opening up the newspaper

on a daily basis

and seeing our great state

being ranked 48th, 50th,

in teen dropout,

teen pregnancy,

mental health funding.

I just felt that

I had to try to do something.

She had been a registered

Republican for a long time.

She reregistered

before deciding

to run for the Arizona House

in 2000.

I don't think anyone

anticipated...

She was

a pro-business Democrat.

Education obviously

costs us money,

but ignorance costs us

more money.

She never took

very many radical stands.

She was never anti-gun.

Gabby owned guns.

Gabby was kind of like

a bit of the it-girl

in Tucson.

Everybody knew Gabby.

I mean...

She grew up there,

and she was so successful.

She was in the

Arizona legislature.

Then she was in Congress.

She was the first Jewish

congresswoman from Arizona.

And then she met an astronaut.

Well, we're here today

with the Kelly brothers.

Scott Kelly, the commander

of the International Space

Station for Expedition 26.

Mark Kelly,

Endeavor's commander

for the STS-134 mission.

You know, a lot of times,

people would ask,

"So, what's it like

to be a twin?"

And the response

I would usually give is,

"Well, what's it like

not to be a twin?"

We were

kind of pretty wild.

Pretty much every day,

we would get into fistfights.

You know, some of these fights

would last hours and hours.

Because we were

so evenly matched.

Yeah.

We grew up

in New Jersey.

My parents

were police officers.

I initially

was trained in the Navy

in Corpus Christi, Texas,

and I was deployed aboard

the aircraft carrier

USS Midway.

GEORGE H. W.

Just two hours ago,

Allied air forces

began an attack

on military targets

in Iraq and Kuwait.

I flew

39 combat missions

over Iraq and Kuwait.

Had a couple surface-to-air

missiles shot at me.

Mark and Scott Kelly

were selected by NASA

to be test pilots.

We both applied

to the astronaut program,

and were fortunate enough

to be selected

to the same class in 1996.

Tell me

how you two fell in love.

- Where did we meet?

- Um...

Mancouver.

Vancouver.

On the way

to a overseas trip.

Gabrielle Giffords,

then an Arizona state rep,

and astronaut Mark Kelly

met in 2003

on a cultural exchange visit.

We sat next

to each other on the airplane.

She laughs at my jokes

even when they're bad.

-Funny. Funny, funny, funny.

That's the one thing

I noticed about her.

Who was the bigger talker?

Gabby Giffords.

-Yeah.

I would say so.

Ying and yang.

She brings home this guy

that flies around in the sky.

He was exactly

what she wanted.

Where did you want me

to propose from?

Oh, space.

She thought

I was gonna propose,

like, I was gonna use,

this opportunity

to do this big thing.

But I'm very focused on my job

when I'm doing my job.

And then what happened?

No bueno.

Nothing.

-Oh, the ring.

-Nada.

-Tiny ring.

-She also didn't like...

When I eventually got around

to it, she didn't like the...

She didn't like the size

of the diamond in the ring.

When you have aphasia,

often you can...

You can't say a lot,

but when you think

of something,

it often comes out.

Talk about your

match made in heaven.

Gabrielle Giffords,

a U.S. representative

living in Tucson,

married NASA astronaut

Mark Kelly.

She stays in Washington

during the week,

then flies home to Arizona

on the weekends.

He spends his weeks training

in Houston or Florida.

Gabby and I had one of

those commuter marriages.

D.C...

Um... Houston, Tucson.

-Busy.

I have two kids

from a previous marriage.

Gabby wanted to have children.

She was almost 41.

It's harder the older you get.

So, she was going

to Bethesda...

Yes.

For...

A baby.

-Yeah, for in vitro.

-Yeah.

The plan was that

Gabby would have

had the procedure on a Monday,

but she was shot on Saturday,

two days before.

You know, timing

is everything, right?

Yeah.

So...

This afternoon,

Jared Lee Loughner

pleaded guilty

to 19 charges in a deal

that's expected to let him

avoid the death penalty.

Loughner is clearly a killer.

But the people he hurt

are willing to show mercy.

We will never

forget the horror of that day,

the loss and wounding

of so many good people.

But I decided

that adding anger

to the burden will do no good.

When

the prosecutors asked you,

did you think they should

seek the death penalty?

No, no.

Loughner,

jail, jail, jail, jail, jail.

Mentally ill, mental ill.

I'm in a terrible place.

This is the school

that I go to.

with schizophrenia.

This is my

genocide school.

He had gone to

Pima Community College,

but had been expelled

because of odd behavior.

Outbursts in the middle

of his classes.

He just seemed to have some

really odd ideas

about government.

They're controlling

the grammar.

They control the grammar.

The college said,

you know,

"You can't come back

"unless you get

mental health help."

And he didn't get that help.

His parents had locked their

gun in the trunk of the car.

But later, he passed

an FBI background check,

and he legally bought

a semiautomatic gun.

Unless you've been

hospitalized,

you're not gonna show up

in a background check.

SGT.Earlier

the day of the shooting,

he had gone

to a local Walmart,

and he had

attempted to purchase

9-milimeter ammunition.

The clerk felt that

he was erratic,

and his behavior

was strange to him,

and so he lied to Mr. Loughner

and told him,

"No, we don't have anything

to sell to you."

But he was able

to go to another store,

and pick up eight boxes

of 9-millimeter ammunition.

They did find a safe

in his bedroom afterwards

that showed he was

a bit obsessed with Gabby.

His target without a question

was Gabrielle Giffords.

He went there to kill her.

Mark Kelly and

his wife, Gabrielle Giffords,

confronted her

would-be assassin

in the Tucson courtroom

for Loughner's sentencing.

The actual sentence:

Life without

the possibility of parole.

Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords,

her husband, Mark Kelly,

came up to the podium,

both of them

looking Jared Loughner

directly in the eye.

Kelly said, "You may have

put a bullet through her head,

"but you have not

put a dent in her spirit."

I wanted to get

a message across to him

that he was not

gonna silence her.

I wanted to make it

clear to him

that he was not successful,

that he failed.

That was important to me.

Finally, Kelly just said,

"Gabby and I are now done

thinking about you."

Home, home on the range

Where the deer

and the antelope play

Throughout her recovery,

Gabby has been able

to sing the lyrics of songs

much more fluently

than when she attempts

more spontaneous speech.

And that's very common

in aphasia.

I started working

with Gabby in 2013.

Gabby sat down across from me

and took my hand,

and we have spent many hours

doing therapy since then.

Hello.

Hello. How is the temperature

up there?

Um...

We always start out

with conversation.

A little bit of rain,

maybe rain,

maybe not, hazy.

Oh, yeah, do you think

that's from the fire?

Florida.

Oh, fire... California.

Yeah. Yeah.

How was your morning?

Um, I have some...

Maybe ear infection

or sinus infection.

A doctor.

I know.

I'll try... I'll call...

No! Now.

-I will, you're right.

-Now.

-Yeah.

Gabby's intellectual abilities

are as good as ever.

But because

of the injury to her brain,

because of the aphasia,

her ability to take

what she's thinking...

I rode in my...

To get that into

the words she wants to say

when she is speaking

or writing,

that is her biggest struggle.

"Alex and I rode..." No.

A lot of homework.

Every day, I push myself.

Take a moment

and visualize the action.

With aphasia,

it's still really hard, right?

You want to get to a word,

still often really difficult.

Question two.

"What's it like to know

what you want to say,

"and not be able

to find the words?"

No bueno.

We do prepare for some

interviews in advance

so that they feel comfortable.

-Comfortable.

-Mm-hmm.

Gabby,

what is it like to know

what you want to say,

but you're not able

to find the words?

No bueno.

Aphasia really sucks.

The words are there

in my brain.

I just can't get them out.

I love to talk. I'm Gabby,

and I'm so quiet now.

-Easy-peasy today.

-Lot of...

Yeah. There was

a lot of practice

that went into that.

-The brain!

-I know.

Who knew? Who knew?

We made a decision

to write a memoir

about what happened to Gabby.

This is Chapter 15.

"Gabby was in..."

This is where we left off.

"Gabby was motionless

in her bed, nonresponsive,"

just kinda like you are

right now.

Unresponsive.

I'm just kidding.

"I had never before

attended funerals

"like the ones in that

second week of January 2011.

"Christina-Taylor Green's

funeral was the hardest.

"For a nine-year-old girl

to die

"because she was passionate

about democracy,

"it was just so unfair.

"When I returned

to the hospital that day,

"there was no way

to tell Gabby

"where I'd just been.

"I just sat with her,

holding her hand in mine."

Mm.

Aww.

We are now getting numbers

quoting law enforcement

sources as saying

at least 20 or perhaps

closer to 30 individuals,

many of them children,

have been killed

at an elementary school

in Connecticut.

They wouldn't even

let us in the building.

All these parents were waiting

for their children

to come out.

They thought that they were,

you know, still alive.

The governor

actually said to the parents,

"Anyone who hasn't

been reunited

"with your children,

"you will not be."

The majority of those

who died today were children.

Beautiful little kids

between the ages

of five and ten years old.

The National

Rifle Association,

the NRA, is the most

powerful grassroots

lobbying organization

in this country,

has been silent,

they said today,

out of respect

for the victims.

Gabrielle Giffords

was in Newtown,

Connecticut, this weekend,

where a gunman

killed 26 people

at an elementary school.

Sandy Hook.

We visited the parents.

Parents.

Hugs, hugs, hugs.

A lot of hugs, a lot of hugs.

One week

after the mass shooting

at Sandy Hook,

the NRA finally

breaks its silence.

I call on Congress today

to act immediately

to appropriate

whatever is necessary

to put armed police officers

in every single school

in this nation.

The only thing that stops

a bad guy with a gun

is a good guy with a gun.

Breaking news

in this hour on gun control.

Senators Joe Manchin

and Pat Toomey moments ago,

unveiling a much-awaited

bipartisan deal

on background checks.

It appears to be the best hope

yet for getting any action

on gun control in the wake

of the Newtown massacre.

A closing

of the gun show loophole.

Folks who wanted

to buy a firearm

would have to go through

a background check.

I don't consider

criminal background checks

to be gun control.

I think it's just

common sense.

We are optimistic

that this will pass.

It's gonna take a little work,

and that's why

Gabby and I are here.

Mothers and fathers

of Sandy Hook victims

met with some senators

who agree with them

and some who don't.

In some cases,

the president

has used them as props.

Do you

solemnly swear the testimony

you give in this matter

will be the truth,

the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

Our first witness

is Mark Kelly.

He's a retired astronaut

and U.S. Navy captain.

Please go ahead, sir.

As you know, our family

has been immeasurably

affected by gun violence.

Gabby's gift for speech

is a distant memory.

She struggles to walk,

and she is partially blind.

I think there are really some

very effective things

that we can do.

And one is, Senator,

the background check.

Let's make it difficult

for the criminals,

the terrorists,

and the mentally ill

to get a gun.

Our next witness

is Wayne LaPierre,

the executive

vice president and CEO

of the National

Rifle Association.

Law-abiding gun owners

will not accept blame

for the acts of violent

or deranged criminals.

The problem with gun laws is,

criminals

don't cooperate with them.

The mentally ill

don't cooperate with them.

You've got to put...

police officers in schools,

armed security in schools.

We have a former

member of Congress here,

Gabby Giffords,

who's gonna give

a brief message.

Ms. Giffords.

Use your finger.

Thank you

for inviting me here today.

Speaking is difficult.

But I need

to say something important.

Violence is a big problem.

Too many children are dying.

Too many children.

We must do something.

It will be hard.

But the time is now.

Be bold. Be courageous.

Americans are counting on you.

Thank you.

Great job.

Nobody could have been

more compelling

than Gabby was that day.

That legislation

was always difficult.

But I thought a classroom

full of six-year-olds

getting slaughtered,

surely,

that will prompt a change.

The bipartisan compromise

to expand

background checks on guns

just failed to break

a Republican filibuster.

The vote was 54 to 46.

So, six votes short of the 60

needed to break

that filibuster.

A few months ago,

in response

to too many tragedies,

this country took up

the cause of protecting

more of our people

from gun violence.

A few minutes ago,

a minority

in the United States Senate

decided it wasn't worth it.

When the legislation failed,

that was as angry

and as disappointed

in our government

and in Congress

as I have ever been.

I've heard folks say

that having

the families of victims

lobby for this legislation

was somehow misplaced.

A prop, somebody called them.

Are they serious?

Do we really think

that thousands of families

whose lives have been

shattered by gun violence

don't have a right

to weigh in on this issue?

Tucson was the first

mass shooting

during my presidency.

A gunman appeared

at the front

of one of the theaters...

And, sadly,

it is then repeated...

One or more suspects

walked into

a social services complex...

...over and over.

The gunman entering

the Emanuel African

Methodist Episcopal Church...

And over and over

and over again.

One of

the biggest mass shootings

in American history

at the Pulse nightclub.

In 2013,

I started an organization

to make our country safer.

We knew that progress

in Congress

and in the White House

-was gonna be difficult.

-Difficult.

But that we had

this opportunity

in states across the country.

Gabby's set forth a strategy

to reach out to folks

who weren't previously

part of the gun violence

prevention movement

who may be

gun owners themselves...

I'll call in your

background check now,

and we'll hope he passes.

...but are committed

to stopping gun violence

in this country.

-Hello, Nevada.

-Hello, Cincinnati.

She's traveled

from coast to coast,

going to states that were

too long ignored, you know...

-Minnesota.

-Yeah.

-Colorado, Texas...

-Yes.

Starting chapters

of Gun Owners for Safety,

which is Gabby's rival

organization to the NRA.

Please support

background checks.

These are people

who identify as gun owners.

And I am a bona fide

NRA lifetime member,

and I've put my comments

on the paper.

It's titled

"Guns, a National Emergency."

This is the new face

of the gun-safety movement,

one that Gabby Giffords

is uniquely able

to bring to the fold.

When NRA officials

talk about gun violence,

they say the way to stop

a bad guy with a gun,

is a good guy with a gun.

Oh. Um... This, um...

Safeway store.

There was a good guy

with a gun...

Yes.

...at the Safeway store

where Gabby was shot.

Right there

in front of the Cadillac

is where everything went down.

An innocent bystander

who was legally armed with

a pistol ran to the scene.

His safety was off,

and he was poised to fire.

Trouble is,

he almost shot the wrong man.

As I approached

the people wrestling with him,

one of the gentlemen

actually had gotten

the gun away from him

and I kind of assumed

he was the shooter.

This good guy with a gun

almost opened fire,

which would have been

a tragedy on top of a tragedy.

These shootings oftentimes

happen so quickly.

It is unrealistic

to think that somebody,

no matter how well trained,

could actually prevent

something like this

from happening.

You look at Gabby Giffords.

Not only is she

a survivor of gun violence,

she's a gun owner herself.

-She was right-handed.

-Okay.

Now she's left-handed.

I'm from the Wild, Wild West.

You've got some cool stuff.

I'm not against guns.

I own guns.

I'm against gun violence.

When Mark Kelly

came to Arizona

and married Gabby Giffords,

I don't think he ever intended

to run for office.

Once Gabby was shot,

I think that changed him.

Mark decided,

if he's gonna make

a difference,

he has to be in the arena.

So he said, "Well,

if she can't be a voice

"for Arizona in Congress,

maybe I can."

Breaking campaign news.

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly

just announced

that he is running

for John McCain's

Senate seat in Arizona.

I did not like the trajectory

of our country.

I didn't like

where we were going.

And, you know,

you can sit around

and complain about it,

or you could try

to do something about it.

Gabby was a public servant.

I learned a lot from her

about how to enact policies

to improve people's lives.

And so many different issues

we care about.

Yeah.

Global warming.

We care about global warming,

healthcare.

Healthcare.

Gabby was in the hospital

for six months.

-Yes.

-And without...

excellent healthcare...

-Yes.

-...in Gabby's case,

provided by

the United States government

as a member of Congress,

I don't know

what we would have done.

Yes, yes.

Gabby, what's a campaign like?

So exciting!

A lot of this stuff,

especially campaigning,

comes much easier to her.

Here, try it like...

-Boom.

-Like that.

I don't think Mark

came to politics naturally.

I mean, this is a guy

who was an astronaut.

You know,

you go up into space,

and you learn

how to fix things,

and you learn how to work

with other people in space.

But that's not politics.

The world will...

And with your hands,

you know,

probably stand

a little more straight, yeah.

Okay.

Gabby

gave Mark credibility.

I mean, she had already

made her bones in Arizona.

She had proven herself.

This is a wildlife refuge.

And here's Mark,

he's coming

from somewhere else.

"Why should we support him?

"Oh, Gabby thinks he's okay.

Gabby trusts him."

The best time to hunt

is December to April.

Okay.

I don't think

he wants to make

gun legislation

his central issue.

That doesn't work in Arizona.

This campaign

was so important.

I wanted to add my voice.

On this continent...

Mark's team had wanted

to put together an ad.

We really sat down

and worked line by line.

Okay, let's pull this up.

Campaign ads are hard.

I wanted to nail it.

So here's your first line.

"Marriage are commitment."

-"Marriage is a commitment."

-...is... commitment.

Mar...

It takes a lot of work.

There's a number of different

strategies that we try.

So

close your eyes for a minute,

and I want you to picture, um,

however you want to think

about marriage. Marriage.

"Marriage is a commitment.

"Marriage is a commitment."

Try it with me.

-"Marriage is...

-"Marriage is

"a commitment."

Beautiful.

"Marriage is a commitment...

"to stand with your partner...

"to stand with your partner

"through good times and bad."

Nice!

"Damn thor... sorpedoes."

"Damn the sorpedo..." No.

"Damn the..."

-"Damn the..."

-"Damn the torpedoes..."

Now tuck in the "so."

-"So damn..."

-"So damn the torpedoes."

-No!

-How is it going?

-"Full speed ahead."

You have no idea

what that took.

-It's hard.

-It's really hard.

I know.

Well, let's take

a little break from torpedoes.

What's a good oldie

we can pull up?

Okay, um...

-Airplane.

...letter

Damn the torpedoes.

Full speed ahead.

Broke another mirror.

-Oh, larger.

-Bigger?

-Bigger.

-You got it.

- Texas hair.

He has helped me... No.

He has helped me

through my darkest moments.

Mark knows

when it's time to serve...

served his family...

Remember,

"serve," no "D."

-No "D."

Try "serve."

Served his family...

Served is...

- Oh, no.

- No, Gabby.

No, no, no.

-You are killing it.

-Don't get despondent.

And serve his state,

the great state, Arizona.

-No.

-What was wrong with it?

No.

You didn't like something?

Marriage

is a commitment...

-Good morning.

-Hello, hello.

...to stand with your partner

in sickness and in health.

Certainly,

having any commercials

with her on there,

it reminded people,

"This is Gabby Giffords'

husband.

"This is the man

who stood by her side.

"This is the man

who held her hand

"at University

Medical Center."

Mark knows

when it's time to serve,

serve his family,

serve our country,

and serve the great state

of Arizona.

So damn the torpedoes.

Full speed ahead.

I'm Mark Kelly,

and I approve this message.

All right.

-You got your speech?

-Yes.

All right.

-Thank you, everybody.

Can you guys

hear us in the back?

You guys

have now done this

on Gabby's campaigns

and Mark's campaigns.

Is there one that's more

stressful than the other?

-Mark.

Perhaps, it might be

a little more stressful.

Good evening,

and welcome

to this special election

2020 debate

between U.S. Senate candidates

Republican Senator

Martha McSally

and Democratic challenger

Mark Kelly.

The stakes

in a U.S. Senate race,

the control

of the United States Senate

often hinges

on one or two seats.

This is a critical moment

for our country and our state.

What I've been doing

is fighting for Arizonans.

Senator McSally voted for

a $1.9 trillion tax giveaway

to big corporations

and the wealthiest Americans.

My opponent

will enable the radical left

and their agenda

to be forced on us.

He led, over the last decade,

one of the most radical

political organizations

in modern history.

For the people

who are watching at home

and don't know what group

you're talking about,

can you please be specific?

It's a very radical

political organization.

The organization

that Senator McSally

is referring to

is named after my wife, Gabby,

Gabby Giffords.

It's named Giffords.

My wonderful wife,

Gabby Giffords.

Gabby! Gabby! Gabby!

This election

is so important.

Lowering drug prices.

Raising

the middle-class wages.

This is the most

consequential election

-of any of our lifetimes.

I like your space suit.

You ever get

the opportunity to go

in a rocket ship,

I highly recommend it.

And to see our planet

as this big, round ball

just floating there

in the blackness of space,

you get this strong sense

how we are all

in this together.

Hello, my fellow Arizonans!

-Whoo!

Her charisma

still comes shining through.

We need bold solutions,

courageous ideas,

leaders who put people first,

not politics.

The personality that Gabbifies

everybody is still there.

I know the perfect person,

the job.

He's tough. He's smart.

He works just as hard as I do.

Well, almost.

My partner,

my rock, Mark Kelly.

Thanks, Gabby,

for that kind introduction.

None of this is possible

without your inspiration

and your support.

Decision 2020

and the race

to the finish line.

You guys vote yet?

All eyes are on

battleground Arizona.

The winner could determine

which party

controls the U.S. Senate.

Effectively a stalemate,

47 seats for Democrats,

47 seats for Republicans,

six races to be decided.

Still a lot of votes

to be counted.

Getting some new information

on the balance of power

in the U.S. Senate.

CNN

can project that Mark Kelly,

husband of former

Congresswoman Gabby Giffords,

will be the next senator

from Arizona.

Roman cavalry choirs

are singing

Be my mirror,

my sword and shield

My missionaries

in a foreign field...

He figured out

how to do it.

He actually outpolled

Biden in Arizona.

He found that sweet spot

in the middle.

All right, Gabby,

what are we doing here today?

-Speeches.

-I'm practicing...

-Maiden speeches.

-Yes.

Practicing my maiden speech.

Not many people

in this job,

their spouse realizes the

challenge of doing the job.

I've never done this.

Oh, straighten out.

So you want me

to stand up straight.

Wave your hand.

-Oh. Like this?

-Yes.

-Like I'm at a concert?

-No, no, no.

-Wave. Hand.

-Use my hands, all right.

Madam President,

it's an honor to rise today

to deliver my maiden speech.

Calm down.

We can't just rebuild

our economy

the way it was.

We have to reinvent it

and create good-paying jobs

that you can actually

raise a family on.

It's a long to-do list,

but I'm used to those.

-Oh, posture.

-The open hand.

Straight ahead.

Horseback riding.

It's a long to-do list,

but I'm used to those.

Slow down.

The checklist

for flying the space shuttle

stands about six feet tall.

The Senate, though,

is not NASA.

-Arizonans sent me here...

-Slow down.

But Arizonans sent me here

to talk really slowly

because that's

what Gabby Giffords wants.

There's a lot going on

in Washington.

I'm part of this group

of 11 Democrats

and 11 Republicans

that are trying to get

this infrastructure bill

across the finish line.

Breaking news

right now on Capitol Hill,

where the Senate just passed

the $1 trillion

infrastructure bill

with strong

bipartisan support.

If Gabby

hadn't been injured,

she would've run

for that Senate seat.

Feels like, you know,

I'm taking over for her

and her job, to some extent.

Music?

-'80s

-'80s on 8.

One... Two...

I have climbed

highest mountains

I have run

Through the fields

Only to be with you

-Got it?

-Yeah.

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

Let's go.

...won't back down

But I won't back down

You can stand me up

at the gates of hell

But I won't back down

Well,

I won't back down

Can't beat me,

even with a motor.

You can stand me up

at the gates of hell

But I...

-Smoking you.

Gabby

knows the devastation

that gun violence has wrought

on communities

across the country.

She is so critical

to this fight for gun safety.

What are you hoping to achieve

with gun-safety legislation?

Background check now.

Exactly.

90% of Americans

support universal

background checks.

It is my great privilege

to be joined

by former U.S. Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords,

the cofounder

of one of the most prominent

gun-safety organizations

in the United States.

Stopping gun violence

takes courage,

the courage to do

what's right,

the courage to be responsible.

On this vote,

the yeas are 219,

and the nays are 210.

The bill is passed.

The U.S.

House of Representatives

approved

a pair of gun-control bills

that would close

a long-standing loophole

in gun laws

by expanding background checks

to those purchasing weapons

over the Internet,

at gun shows,

and through

private transactions,

and give authorities

10 business days

for federal background checks

before a gun sale

can be licensed.

Yes.

But the legislation will face

a tougher battle

in the U.S. Senate.

It will be you,

Senator Murphy,

-Robin, and Lauren.

-Lauren.

- Hello, hello.

- How are you?

Gabby,

you remember Lauren.

Lauren.

You last saw Lauren,

she had a baby.

-Oh, the baby!

-Yeah.

Oh! Oh!

-Chunky baby!

-I know.

Thank you

for being here

and doing this.

It's such a critical time.

Yes, yes.

How do you

feel about our chances?

-Yes, yes. Yes.

-Good?

Every Republican I talk to

mentions how the NRA

is in retreat.

And are in bankruptcy.

The financial future

of the National

Rifle Association

may be decided

in a Texas bankruptcy court.

More than half

a million dollars

on private flights

for LaPierre,

and he often made use

of a vendor's yacht.

In court this week,

LaPierre said his use

of NRA funds was necessary.

The boat, the Bahamas,

no bueno.

So in some way,

-this is the perfect time...

-Yeah.

...to try to get

this measure passed.

There's a lot of senators

who haven't had to cast a vote

on this issue for five or...

-Toomey?

-Toomey is...

I think wants to be

in the right place here.

I know it's been a long,

hard haul, right?

How many years, Gabby,

have we been

doing this together

with Senator Murphy?

Sandy Hook.

It feels like it was...

Decades.

Yeah. I think about those kids

in Sandy Hook.

They'd be

in high school right now.

Tens of thousands of flowers

blanket the National Mall

in Washington this week.

40,000 white roses,

each flower represents a life

lost to gun violence

every year

in the United States.

The installation was built

by a gun violence

prevention organization

that is run by former

Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

It's so good to see you.

Thank you.

-Thank you.

-And look at this.

I would like

for every member of Congress

to come out here

and take a look

at every flower

that represents

someone's loved one.

And I would ask the people

who don't get it yet,

which flower representing

a mother, a father,

a son, a daughter,

a child, a sibling...

Which one of these flowers

is not worth

members of Congress

doing something about it?

Hello, Clyburn.

- Good to see you.

- Mwah! Thank you.

- Hello.

- Hey. Hello.

- Hey.

- Jim, hey, man.

I've been

trying hard to figure out

what kind of a stranglehold

that the gun culture

has over the Congress.

The NRA has been able

to raise the money,

and they have spent it

very strategically,

and I applaud Gabby

for getting out there

and fighting fire with fire.

I've known

the darkest of days.

Days of pain

and uncertain recovery.

Gabby speaks

with a kind of authority

that nobody else

can speak with.

Her experiences

give her the credibility.

We are at a crossroads.

We can be

on the right side of history.

Please join us in this fight.

My dad died in 2013.

My mom lives outside Tucson,

deep in the desert.

Gabby.

-Mother's Day!

-You look so Southwestern.

-Western?

-Look at that.

-I love you.

-Oh! I love...

"M" is for

the million things she gave me

"O" means that

she's only growing old

"T" are for the tears

she shed to save me

"H" is for her heart

as pure as gold

-As gold, as gold

-Gold, gold

Hello, hello.

-Hello, hello.

-Hey, Gabby.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Oh, my gosh.

-What?

You have a Gabby kiss

on your hair.

A perfect smooch.

-Oh. Oh!

Aww. I love you.

Claire and I have

a much different

relationship with Gabby now.

Definitely,

it's a much warmer

and special relationship

than before.

I wrote Gabby a letter

the night Gabby was shot.

I kind of wanted

to express the things

that I recognized

and appreciated

about how supportive

that she'd always been

of my sister and I,

and that I was sorry

for not being

as warm or as accepting

as I could have been.

It was like

an awakening for me.

-Baby Sage.

-Who's this?

-Baby Sage.

-It's Gaga.

Oh! Wow! Wow!

-Hello.

-Who's that?

Our relationship,

it's different than before

and different

than a relationship

with anybody else in my life.

Oh!

It's a very unique way

of communicating

with facial expression

and a lot of touch.

You know,

Gabby's able to communicate

with her face and her love.

It's a gift.

We turn

to gun-control legislation.

Gun legislation to increase

background checks

is not moving.

There are some senators trying

to get bipartisan support

for gun legislation.

That is not going anywhere.

It is difficult to

bring Democrats

and Republicans together

behind anything these days.

Fifty-fifty.

Yeah, it's a evenly

divided Washington.

We continue

to have Republican support

both in the House

and in the Senate.

The problem is, you know,

we need 60 votes,

and we're still working

on our path to get there.

Gabby has built a movement,

one that now outspends

the NRA in elections,

outlobbies them in Congress,

passes more legislation than

they do on the state level.

We've passed over

400 pieces of legislation

that, in various ways,

have helped protect states

and communities,

red flag laws that allow us

to keep guns out

of the hands of, you know...

Mentally ill.

Yeah,

criminals and others.

But we've also had

big defeats.

We've seen

terrible legislation

passed that, you know,

gives people the ability

to carry guns no matter what.

The worst.

Shooting, shooting, shooting.

Enough is enough.

Need to please call 911

because there is somebody

hurt on the third floor.

What's it like

when you hear

about another shooting

and Congress

still hasn't taken action?

So sad.

Straight ahead.

We're gonna keep on fighting.

Keep on fighting.

Don't remember much.

Horrible day, horrible day.

So many people hurt.

Six wonderful people...

died.

Always connected to them.

She's such

a positive person.

People don't always know

what she's struggling with.

There was

so much lost that day.

The senator from Arizona.

Mr. President,

it's an honor to rise today

to deliver my maiden speech.

We can't

just rebuild our economy

the way it was before.

We have to reinvent it and

create the jobs of the future.

Shoulders... Navy guy.

The checklist for flying the

space shuttle

stands about six feet tall.

Bald head.

The Senate, though,

it's not NASA,

- doesn't move as fast...

-Pointy ears...

Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Mwah!

My wife, Gabby,

taught me a thing or two

about how to find

common ground.

I'm so proud of her.

Of her relentless positivity

that she brings

to her continued

rehabilitation.

It inspires me

each and every day.

The same gift

of connection

and the same

indomitable spirit

that I saw in her

when she was first elected

to Congress,

that doesn't go away.

We are at a crossroads.

We can let the shooting

continue, or we can act.

Gabby embodies

this sense of the human spirit

being able to overcome

just about anything.

Thursday, January 27th.

Memorial Hermann TIRR,

Houston, Texas.

How are you?

Chicken.

Try not to say

"chicken."

Chicken.

It wasn't funny at the time.

Kind of, you know...

Sad.

-Set the...

-Table.

That's right.

Are you gonna get through it?

-I mean, do you remember that?

-Yes.

What do you remember?

Say it like a congresswoman.

Angie.

Gabby, can you reflect

on how far you've come

since January 2011?

I couldn't walk.

I couldn't talk.

Happy birthday to...

Happy birthday, dear Gabby

Now, I'm giving

speeches again.

I'm studying

for my bat mitzvah.

And I'm riding my bike

for 25 miles

in El Tour de Tucson.

Music? Oh, yes.

When you face hard times...

How do you move forward?

I tell myself,

"Move ahead."

Oh, the blooms! The blooms.

I don't look back.

Talking away

I don't know what I'm to say

I'm stumbling away

Oh, trash.

Life is okay

Say after me

It's no better

to be safe than sorry

Take on me

Words

once came easily.

Today I struggle to speak.

But I've not lost my voice.

In a day or two...

America needs

all of us to speak out

even when you have to fight

to find the words.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Shenandoah River

Life is old there,

older than the trees

Younger than the mountains

Blowin' like a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place where I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice

in the morning hour

She calls me

Radio reminds me

of my home far away

Driving down the road,

I get a feeling

That I should have been

home yesterday

Yesterday

Country roads, take me home

To the place where I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads

Good stuff. Gorgeous.

-Nice jump.

-Oh, thank you. Good stuff.

Good job.

Thank you very much.

Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down (2022) - full transcript

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