House leaders held a ceremony this afternoon to dedicate Room HVC-215 of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in honor of Gabriel Zimmerman, who died on January 8, 2011 while carrying out his duties as an aide to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.
Congressman Ron Barber said of Zimmerman, “Gabe was a dear friend, coworker and a dedicated public servant whose faith for what we could accomplish as a community, a country and a people was unwavering.”
Former congresswoman Giffords joined the event to remember Zimmerman, who was known as a dedicated employee who who died in an act of selflessness and courage.
Zimmerman was only 30 when he served as Giffords’s community outreach director. He had participated in the planning of the “Congress on Your Corner” meet-and-greet with constituents outside a Safeway in Tucson where he and five others were killed.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) opened the event by leading a moment of silence for the victims of yesterday’s Boston Marathon attack. Boehner delivered prepared remarks at the dedication:
“I know the word ‘bittersweet’ is on our minds today. The word ‘historic’ should be as well.
“This is the first room in the Capitol Visitor Center to be dedicated in honor of an individual. And it is the first room in the entire Capitol complex to be dedicated in honor of a staff member.
“It’s a stirring tribute – and a fitting one too. This isn’t a space we use for pomp and ceremony. People come together here for meetings and gatherings, democratic rituals in their own right – the kind of assemblies Gabe planned and led throughout his career.
“And there’s this plaque, which speaks of a young man who set out to make a difference – and did, many times over. Still, a plaque can only say so much. Especially in this case.
“Gabe’s colleagues and fellow staffers know why this is. They know Gabe wouldn’t have counted all the hours he gave to the people he helped. They know he wouldn’t have tracked the extra calls he made, the loose ends he tied up, the free time he sacrificed.
“They know he wouldn’t have bragged about his successes. He wouldn’t have announced them. Because that’s their code. And the democratic process, that’s their ‘line of duty.’
“So today – and every day – we should pause and be thankful for the unsung professionals who sustain this institution. In that spirit, will all the staff members present please step forward or raise their hands and be recognized?
“This tribute to one who served is a tribute to all who serve. May this room stand as a marker of our capacity to give, to care, and to love.”