Empty seat will honor Giffords Tuesday night

The Arizona delegation will sit together Tuesday night during President Obama’s State of the Union address, leaving one seat empty to honor Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), according to several House aides familiar with the still-evolving plan.

{mosads}Giffords was shot in the head earlier this month during a rampage that killed six people and left 13 others injured, including Giffords. The Arizona Democrat underwent a series of emergency surgeries and is recovering in a rehabilitation facility in Houston.

In response to the tragedy, a number lawmakers have vowed to scrap the decades-old tradition of segregating the chamber by party during the president’s annual address to Congress. Instead, many will cross the aisle to sit with members of the other party.

The gesture of civility is designed to temper the sharp partisan tone that’s marked the congressional debate of recent years — a tone some commenters have suggested might have encouraged an act of violence against an elected official like Giffords.