Giffords to resign from Congress

Updated 4:34 p.m. ET

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords says she is stepping down from Congress this week to focus on her recovery from the shooting last January that shocked the nation.

The Arizona Democrat, 41, was shot in the head at point-blank range as she was meeting with constituents at a Tucson grocery store. Six people were killed in the rampage and 13 people were wounded, including Giffords.

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"A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that," Giffords said in the video posted on her Facebook page. "... I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week."

In a statement, Giffords said she intends to complete the "Congress on Your Corner" event that was interrupted by the shooting rampage by meeting with some of her constituents privately. She said she also plans to be at President Obama's State of the Union Address in the House chambers on Tuesday.

Under Arizona law, Gov. Jan Brewer will have 72 hours after the vacancy to call a special election for Giffords' 8th District seat, which takes in the southeastern part of the state.

Giffords' departure was immediately hailed as a loss for Congress, by both House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"I salute Congresswoman Giffords for her service, and for the courage and perseverance she has shown in the face of tragedy. She will be missed," said Boehner, R-Ohio.

Pelosi, D-Calif., said Giffords' "message of bipartisanship and civility is one that all in Washington and the nation should honor and emulate."

The Tucson shooting sparked a national debate about the role of heated rhetoric in politics and the need for a more civil public discourse. Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, said she had been unfairly accused of "blood libel" by the news media because she had used cross hairs on Giffords' district in a map of districts she was targeting in the 2010 elections.

Jared Loughner, 23, has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges related to the Tucson rampage. He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is being medicated in a Missouri prison so he can be mentally ready for trial.

Giffords has spent much of her time away from Washington since the shooting. She did much of rehabilitation work at a Houston-area hospital to be near her husband, Mark Kelly.

She made a dramatic appearance on the floor of the U.S. House last August to vote for a bill to raise the debt limit. At the time, Giffords said she wanted to cast her vote in person because she "could not take the chance that my absence could crash the economy."

Giffords returned to Washington in October when her husband officially retired from the U.S. Navy. Kelly had previously stepped down from NASA's astronaut corps, after piloting the space shuttle Endeavour on its final flight.

Pelosi said Giffords was a "true bright star -- a dynamic and creative public servant. Gabby's message of bipartisanship and civility is one that all in Washington and the nation should honor and emulate."

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., tweeted that Giffords "continues to inspire and unite Americans everywhere with her strength and resolve."

While Giffords focused on her recovery, her friends in Congress -- including Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. -- had held fundraisers to keep her campaign account stocked with cash in case she decided to run again.

For a brief time, Giffords was mentioned as a possible U.S. Senate candidate in Arizona but that ended when her aides and other allies encouraged former surgeon general Richard Carmona to run instead.

Arizona's 8th District had been represented by a Republican before Giffords' election in 2006, and is considered a swing district. Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement that the political group looks forward to working with "a Democratic candidate who fits this district and shares those values that Gabrielle holds dear to carry on her work."

(Contributing: Susan Page, Susan Davis)