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Obama Speaks with US Representative’s Husband; Shooting Won’t Stop Congress

White House flags to be lowered to half-staff

*CNN is reporting that President Obama spoke by phone late Saturday to Mark Kelly, the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured in a mass shooting on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona, a senior White House official said.

The official told CNN that Obama “expressed his deep concern and full support” for the family in the wake of the tragedy.

White House officials had noted on Saturday afternoon that the president had placed a call to Kelly in the initial hours after the shooting in Tucson. But Obama initially had to leave a message for Kelly, a Navy captain and an astronaut, who was flying from Houston to Tucson to be at his wife’s side on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Obama reached him later in the evening, according to the senior White House official.

President Obama was updated on the shooting investigation around 9 a.m. Sunday by his homeland security adviser, John Brennan, according to the senior White House official.

“The President will continue to be updated as appropriate in the coming days,” said the senior official.

Mr. Obama also ordered White House flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D/AZ

Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner says the shooting of congresswoman Giffords will not stop her colleagues in the House from carrying out their duties, although they will postpone some scheduled business this week.

In a brief statement Sunday, Boehner said votes scheduled for this week, including on the repeal of President Barack Obama’s health care law, will be postponed. But referring to the shooting, Boehner said no act, no matter how heinous, should stop Congress from doing its duty.

Boehner also said flags on the House side of the U.S. Capitol building will be flown at half-staff to honor an aide to Giffords who was killed in the attack.