House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has postponed Wednesday's vote on a bill to repeal healthcare reform following the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others at a public event Saturday in Tucson. The shooting, which left six dead and 14 wounded (including Giffords), has sparked worldwide discussion over the political intensity of the healthcare reform debate.
Following the shooting, Democrats and others were quick to point to a map posted online last March 23 by former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, following the signing of the Affordablerable Care Act into law. The map identified 20 politicians in districts that had switched from Republican to Democratic control in the 2008 presidential election. Marked by crosshairs on that map, Giffords was listed among the 20 that Palin said Republicans should take back.
In a bipartisan conference call with lawmakers Sunday, Boehner said, "Yesterday was a grim day for our institution and our country. Gabby was attacked while doing the most fundamental duty of a member of Congress – listening to her constituents." "We don't yet know the motives of the assailant, or whether he acted alone. What we do know is that this was an act of unspeakable brutality and violence, one that has no place in our society," Boehner said. "As you've heard me say, an attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve."
Boehner said he and other GOP House leaders were postponing "normal business of the House" for this week to "take necessary actions regarding yesterday's events." "What is critical is that we stand together at this dark time as one body," he told members of the House. "We need to rally around our wounded colleague, the families of the fallen and the people of Arizona's 8th District. And, frankly, we need to rally around each other."
"This is a time for the House to lock arms, both in condemnation of this heinous act and in prayer for those killed and wounded in this attack. At a time when an individual has shown us humanity at its worst, we must rise to the occasion for our nation and show Congress at its best," Boehner added. Jared Lee Loughner, 22, has been in custody since the Saturday morning shooting and faces five counts of murder and attempted murder of federal employees.