>> Thank you for joining us, I’m so happy to see you again,
it’s been a long time.
Let’s talk about optimism, let’s talk about
incredible accomplishment, Kathy. It’s been 10 years since
the shooting in Tucson
when I think about you on that day. And I look at you now.
It is thrilling to see how far you’ve come what does it mean
to you to be here. 10 years later.
>> I’m getting better.
Slowly, but I’m getting stronger.
>> Again, he works really hard, I mean every week
and
I think it’s a testament to somebody who’s just not going
to ever give up.
Yes, so.
>> West in it but since I do that
gives you the will to keep fighting move. I hope we move
ahead.
>> Yeah, that’s something I always
you know recognized about gabby from you know when we first
were
started dating and then we’re Gage was it was. It was always
about the future. Yes,
you’re not going to change the past.
And this is now 10 years in the past.
But we’ve got a you know focus on you know today and the next
day in the next month and how do we make our country a better
place.
>> We don’t want to dwell on the past but
to recognize how far and how much you’ve accomplished I do
think about that day. Mark there was a moment several
moments agonizing moments when you thought she may have been
killed. Yeah.
How does this anniversary
strike you how do you
deal with what comes up on this day.
>> As we approach the 10 years I do think back to that day.
Often.
There was a moment that
where was reported that gabby had had died about 30 minutes.
Gabby’s pretty tough camp is pretty early time.
She’s you know I I knew there was a chance that
that might not be true.
And turned out that was the case.
And landed in Tucson and you know spent weeks in the
hospital there and then 6 months cabbie was in the
hospital in Houston. For 6 months going through extensive
Riyadh
was it was a challenging time, you know, I think we often I
think this is true for most folks we’re going through a
tough time now is the country. You know awful things happen.
And they are often difficult to overcome.
It’s important and this is what happened with with us and
that we have the support in Tucson from a community that
you know was able to rally around
gabby and all the folks affected by this in in a way
that. Big highlights, you know what our country is really
about and when we think back we often remember the good parts,
yes and not so much the you know this you know the the
other the other side of this.
>> I read that when she but hold your hand in the hospital
that she would turn your wedding ring.
>> It’s been around like that even when she was still
kind of unconscious, so is this a reaction because that’s what
she should do what we would go out to dinner
like that sitting at the at the at the tape.
What did that mean to you well meant that she was
that you are
a lot of it
you and you’re still there. Yes that was still gabby
even though she was in a coma has yet to us.
She was intubated at the time barack obama yeah, and yeah,
and then president obama came in at one point I was actually
the time when when she regained consciousness. Shortly after he
left the room.
>> I remember that speech when he’s said to the mckale Center
the crowds that gabby opened her eyes did you ever go back
and look at that did you ever see that.
>> Move ahead. Move ahead, we’ve talked about that.
>> Right you know we talked about a number of times like
would would would gabby want to go and watch all the coverage
from that day and
move ahead, not not really.
>> Makes sense. I knew a little bit before the shooting.
And it always struck me that you had the gift of gab you are
so eloquent and speech came so easily to you and now I see
that you fight for every word fight for what is that like
what is your rehabilitation like
really really.
>> If you still have a way with words. Yeah, it does turn gabby
Giffords speech speaks speak so quiet now heart the words are
right there to pick his term
pressed rating, yes.
>> I think we all experience that just to some extent right
at some point. You’re you’re trying to remember the person’s
name we’re trying to member the right word.
But big with gabby’s traumatic brain injury, it’s something
that she feels with.
>> All the time yes, but gabby you know everything that’s
going on I can see it in your eyes, she’s not missing
anything.
>> And then when your name is gabby quite ironic, you find
yourself in this situation. Right.
>> What do you enjoy doing these days, what’s fun.
>> Oh I’m so busy lives zoom call or or or speech therapy,
a lot of homework
yoga twice a week.
French or in Spanish lesson right new bike, walking on my
treadmill watching movies. It’s Groundhog day.
>> All over again over yeah, you know the zoom calls has
been kind of brutal yeah, he’s on zoom a lot yeah for a number
of reasons said myself as well and I
>> it’s been tough to know people kind of over zoom,
yes, I think the whole country is over zoom, we miss each
other and we miss people great tool.
>> But will be nice to move back to something that feels
>> You are working hard you’re working on gun safety reforms,
more normal.
the entire list, both of you on that.
I thought about this last 10 years, the progress that has
been me I also
we have to remember 6 of the worst mass shootings in our
country have been in the last 10 years
feel hopeless or get frustrated.
>> Yeah, I mean hope is hope.
>> I’ve known the darkest today’s days of pain, I’m
certain recovery but confronted by despair, I’ve summons hope.
>> Hope hope hope you know we I mean we also have to be you
know hopeful about the about the future and that we can we
can do better.
I mean we know what works this like a lot of other issues you
know requires a lot of hard work by you know thousands of
folks across the country to deal with it.
You know and and and I I am hopeful that gabby is that that
we’re going to do better.
>> As a country. Well you were elected senator and Arizona
hasn’t had 2 Democratic senators I think since 1953,
you’re kind safety activists and you were elected in the
state of Arizona.
That says something.
>> Yeah well I think what it says is that. Arizona is like
most Americans realize we’ve got an issue
their common sense things we can do about this background
checks for gun sales and other things for problems are
solutions and it’s it’s pretty clear what these these are and
Arizona’s get that I traveled across the state for 21 months.
I mean the last part of that was rather virtually. And just
listening to folks about the issues that they’re dealing
with soften things about. Parker,
what is in Parker Arizona
that this elderly gentleman on number, you know forget this he
came up to be a senior center and
I’m standing there there’s some folks eating lunch and he stood
up for his launching sense that after his wife died. He lost or
pension and now he was trying to get finance 700
dollars in Social Security income a month.
And he said to me said please tell me that this is not going
to go away.
I don’t know what I’ll do even he even said it probably be
homeless, you know so he’s worried about you know his his
situation about
you know issues like
Social Security right now we have 400
1000 Arizona’s are trying to get by on unemployment benefits
now we extended those.
But folks are you know really struggled feet off and economic
issues and Healthcare. So yes, my job to figure out you know
how are we going to work in a bipartisan way something that
gabby was
really good at when she was in the House.
I mean she had you know friends on the other side of the aisle
Campo
10 Polk had put yet yet Ted Poe was a very conservative
Republican from Texas.
You know there wasn’t a lot of stuff.
Well that they didn’t agree on everything, but they did find
things order you know that they can when they can work on
together.
Border issues, he was in Texas can be in from Arizona.
I think you would did he come to Arizona and you went to
Texas
and they worked on border issues together so it’s it’s
about finding this common ground
to improve people’s lives.
ago, you’re going to be a senator would you believe that
would you believe was not in my planned and in your heart of
hearts know.
I know know is there any part of you that thinks it should be
her absolutely.
>> Yeah, I mean gabby was the member of Congress often think
to myself.
I mean if something would have happened to me
but gabby and become an astronaut.
>> No yeah these probably yes, it’s I don’t know about that.
>> Yeah, I mean I had a plan when I was a little kid to be
Yes.
the first person to walk on the planet Mars.
That didn’t happen but I you know, I got a one of the space
4 times being a U.S. senator was not part of the player.
And
I’m pretty sure that if what happened 10 years ago did not
happen that they turned out differently happy with the U.S.
senator.
I mean it is really critical that we elect folks like gabby
folks that are willing to compromise on issues to solve
hard problems.
>> I hear you say that and it sounds so good.
I think people want to see that bipartisanship but how do you
make it happen when our politics seem so broken,
there seems to be no incentive to get along it’s not broken on
>> I was sitting in the chamber just last week with mitt Romney
everything.
and Dan Sullivan, and that’s all been brought up the point
On so many issues he was he was specifically talking about an
issue that had to do with that
with the oceans and plastic in the oceans that he worked on
with Sheldon WHITEHOUSE both have coastal states Alaska,
Rhode Island and I made successfully got this past and
and so folks to work together there.
But it’s often the impression is that on like the the bigger
issues that it it is difficult to come together and that’s why
there’s just going to be a commitment by folks to just
compromise and continue to have these conversations an end and
work
because we all at the end of the day right we all want the
same day
right we want you know affordable health care and we
want our kids to get a good education and we want an
economy that works for everybody we can all agree on
>> It’s just how do you get their gabby do like being back
that.
in Washington awesome. Yes.
>> Really cold miss that 2 spy, yes.
>> It’s little has been a little illegally here rain to
new rain. Yeah, it was snowing. Couple weeks ago the county was
a Tucson if
I know we’ll we’ll spend most of our time.
>> In Tucson are you hopeful that
gun reform and gun safety will be one of the things you can
somehow break through on when you’re here in Washington.
>> It is this bipartisan support you know for you know
some of these some of these issues and and gabby and the
work she’s done.
Leading you know her organization has had a lot of
success in the state’s yeah, hopeful.
>> You have such an amazing spirit I love being in your
company.
>> Where does that come from where is your hope come from.
I want to make the world a better place.
And you are yes.
>> What have you learned about cabbie in this last 10 years
and what we learned from her.
>> A lot right. I I always knew she was tough, I just didn’t
get the level and to be just so positive when something really
awful happens to be able. Look ahead and not contemplate
so much about what happened but also how much of an inspiration
she has to other people as we travel across the state in the
country and you know we need folks that from all different
backgrounds, but often to have something horrible happens
could be a car accident or stroke or some other illness
that gabby is is an inspiration to outside probably millions of
people across the country.
Across the planet.
We’re in Israel.
Rep at the usually yeah that bus was okay. One of her
doctors to show you show you saw briefly you in the
hospital, but we were at the Sea of Galilee in a restaurant
and he comes up to gabby was so excited to Syria because he was
like a gastroenterologist that dealt with her when she was in
the hospital. Treat know he did he was the for the feeding tube
got
knowing they pulled it out the war. They were huge and really
doesn’t complain about like situations like this that day
she complained and rightfully so.
>> Within you knew it was bad, yeah, it had to be bad if she
said so yeah, it does strike me no, this is the year a lot of
people are struggling
for different reasons and no they didn’t go through what
you’ve had to go through but what is your message to people
who’ve might be struggling having a hard time.
>> The leader saying his ample be passion bicker just be your
best.
>> We were we spent some time you know at the food bank in
Tucson recently and there they’re handling our yet.
Yeah, thousands of people thousands of cars a day.
They’re handling and 3 hours with the used to do in 3 days.
And folks are really struggling and I think it’s important for
folks to realize that we’ll get through this.
There are better days ahead of us we’ll get through this is a
country.
We’ll come out the other and stronger.
We’ve got to get folks to do a better job,
wear masks, socially distance saying hospitals are being
overwhelmed right now. But we have vaccine, you know on the
horizon and that’s so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
So there are better days ahead of us and our economy is going
to improve.
Folks are going to get back to work.
Small businesses are going to come back we just got to kind
of buckle down here
and understand that we really need to come together as a
team.
We’ll have some new leadership in the White House is positive.
>> We know where gabby stand beside her speech at the DNC
was that what is that moment means you awesome
a lot of homework.
French warned. Lot of yeah, a lot of time a lot of time.
>> American needs all of us to speak out even when you have to
buy to find the words.
>> He worked hard for it.
I do want to ask you about the vaccine. Rollout now we’re back
to your senator self but Arizona has the highest rate of
transmission right now.
>> One of the lowest rates of vaccination.
>> 2 I disappointed with this vaccine rollout and where you
place the blame.
>> Yeah, I’m disappointed it’s similar to when we were you
know plan for testing and contact tracing. We didn’t have
a national plan we still don’t.
We had a
good plan in creating vaccines. The clearly work.
But there was no plan for distribution you just can’t
throw it over the fence to the states we needed a national
plan we didn’t have that some states don’t have a very good
plan, Arizona. I think is one of them. We have to do better,
we’ve got to get these vaccines in people’s arms, they don’t
have good any good sitting in a refrigerator and we’ve got to
convince folks to be vaccinated you know we all look at you
know facebook can use smart people in your past you thought
were smart to don’t think it’s a good idea to be vaccinated
that’s not a good message. We know this vaccine is safe
and it works it’s the thing that’s going to get us to the
herd immunity we need about 75% or for worse, vaccinated
people need to be vaccinated when it’s available.
>> Is there anything you want to say let people know about
how you’re doing.
>> I’m optimistic it will be a long hard haul but I’m
optimistic
cabbies like the most optimistic.
>> She really is just a very contagious. I caught it that’s
a good thing to catch on.
Thank you so much ink so nice to see you.