Sen. Mark Udall: Bipartisan State of the Union Seating Is a "Tribute to Gabby"
Sen. Mark Udall's (D-Colo.) idea for bipartisan seating has sparked a wave of support from both parties in anticipation of President Obama's State of the Union address tonight.
In an interview with CBS News Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes on Washington Unplugged, Udall opened up that part of his motivation stemmed from the tragedy in Tucson that seriously injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).
"Many of us know Gabby Giffords, many of us know what a spirited legislature she is, many of us know what a pragmatist she is, and someone who looked for common ground," Udall told Cordes.
Udall also has a personal connection to Giffords and explained, "My father represented Arizona in the U.S. House. His district was much like Congresswoman Giffords district, she and I were born at the same hospital, we share the same passions about issues- renewable energy, the armed services, aerospace - and so I think that people felt like this was a wake-up call for all of us."
Udall noted that his idea, for members of both parties to come together, would make Giffords proud, "We are all here for the best of reasons, even those of us that are far away; far apart on the political spectrum. That's a way to pay tribute to Gabby in symbolic ways but also, we go back to work and work on the economy and job creation, it would make her proud and make us proud."
Watch Cordes' full interview with Sen. Mark Udall above.
