[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          CENTER AISLE CAUCUS

  (Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I'm so grateful that as we 
prepare to receive the President tomorrow night for his State of the 
Union Address that we're going to be joined by our colleague, 
Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. The courage that she has shone in her 
long recovery has been an inspiration to all of us, and I'm proud to 
call her a friend.
  Last year, in the aftermath of that terrible and tragic shooting, we 
came together as a Congress for the State of the Union. We put aside 
our partisan differences, and we convened as a united body. Republicans 
sat with Democrats, conservative Members sat with liberal Members. It 
was a small but symbolic gesture that this place can rise above 
partnership for the greater good of this Nation.
  As cochair of the House's Center Aisle Caucus, I, along with my 
fellow cochairs are calling on this House to do it again. Tomorrow 
night, let's sit together, let's show the Nation again that with Gabby 
in our midst we can be one rather than be divided. Now our small but 
growing caucus brings together Members who believe that we can discuss 
issues in a civil and respectful manner. I hope that all of you, all of 
my colleagues, will join us in an effort to build on the success of 
last year and start a new bipartisanship tradition in this House.

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