Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I yield such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer House Resolution 364. designating HVC 215 of the Capitol Visitor Center as the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room. On January 8. in Tucson. Arizona. tragedy struck this country in a shooting that shocked our Nation and tore through the fabric of the congressional community. Six people died that horrific day. including Gabriel Zimmerman. a congressional staffer for our friend and colleague. Representative GABRIELLE GIFFORDS of Arizonas Eighth Congressional District. Now. less than a year after this horrible day. it is fitting that the United States House of Representatives. through passage of this resolution. properly honor the sacrifice and service of one of our own. Gabe Zimmerman served as the community outreach director for our friend and colleague. Congresswoman GABBY GIFFORDS. Gabe was perfectly suited for this position. as anyone who knew him would tell you. Thats because working as a community outreach director married two great passions in his life: his drive to help individuals and a firm conviction that Americas Government needed to be open. accessible. and responsive to every American. Ask any Member of Congress here what is one of the most valuable positions in their office. and they will tell you it is our constituent outreach director. They listen each and every day to the concerns of our constituentstheir problems. their suggestions. their complaintsand then they work to help them. The hours are long. Nights and weekends at home with family or out with friends are often sacrificed to attend community meetings. Each and every one of us have staff members working for us who show such dedication. and the hallways of this Capitol have echoed for two centuries with the hurried footsteps of congressional staffers serving the American people. This resolution. designating the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room. is not put forward to mark Gabes death but. rather. to recognize his commitment in life and to making others lives better. Ask those who knew him and they will tell you that Gabe had a way about him that invited conversation. He could walk into any room and find a way to connect to people. Gabe would often put in extra hours and was known to pay out of his own pocket for poorer constituents bus fare. whatever he could do to help that little extra amount. Gabes dedication and cheerfulness had a profound effect on those with whom he came in contact. Just days after the shooting. well after dark. a gentleman came to Representative GIFFORDS Tucson office. tears in his eyes. visibly shaking. He explained that just days before. Gabe had taken the time to sit down with him. and even though hed come in late in the day. he listened to him. treated him like a human being. and made it clear he was going to work to help him. The gentleman simply couldnt believe that such a good person had been taken so young. Among his colleagues in Tucson. Gabe was profoundly well liked. They told me. when I visited after the shooting. that Gabe was always excited to come in to work and that he cherished the ability to work for a Member of Congress and for one he so admired. His coworkers kiddingly called him Prince Charming because he was always there for them. always ready to come to their rescue. In Representative GIFFORDS. Gabe found someone for whom he cared deeply as his mentor. as his boss. as a friend. and as a Member of his Congress who shared his passion for selflessly helping others. And while Representative GIFFORDS counted on Gabe to be her eyes and ears in her district. her husband Mark Kelly said that Gabby also looked upon Gabe like a younger brother. as so many of us as Members of Congress look at our own staff members. Tragically. this loyal. determined. and talented public servant. someone who was a true apostle of our representative democracy. unknowingly also made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Gabe Zimmerman is the first congressional staffer in the history of this institution to be killed while carrying out his official duties. It is in this historical and hallowed moment that we vote on this resolution to name the congressional meeting room currently known as HVC215 the Gabriel Zimmerman Room. As those of us who work on the Hill know well. HVC215 is frequently used for staff meetings of every variety. I can think of no better way to memorialize Gabes service and ultimate sacrifice than to have this meeting place forever carry his name and memory. Over the past 4 months. a bipartisan group of more than 400 of our colleagues. 402 now. to be exact. have signed on to this resolution in solidarity as cosponsors of this resolution honoring Gabes sacrifice. This makes this resolution among just a select few pieces of legislation in history to have garnered such broad support in the House of Representatives. With this vote. we honor the life of Gabe Zimmerman. and we also recognize all congressional staffworking in every corner of our great Nationfor their dedication to Congress and the American people. From now on. each time we enter the Gabriel Zimmerman meeting room. let us be reminded of Gabe and of the service and sacrifice of every congressional staffer. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of House Resolution 364. I reserve the balance of my time.