Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona politician who was shot in the head in January, said she had been "deeply disappointed" by the party political wrangling that brought the US to the brink of an unprecedented default, after her return to Congress for a vote on the debt-ceiling bill.
To rapturous applause from both Republicans and Democrats, the convalescent congresswoman appeared in the House of Representatives with minutes left before the end of the vote, walking unsteadily and mouthing "thank you" to those who had leapt to their feet to welcome her back, including the Vice-President Joe Biden and the Tea Party favourite Michele Bachmann.
Such a show of unity had been rare in the weeks leading to the vote, a fact Giffords, a Democrat, observed in a statement released afterwards.
"I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what's going on in Washington. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics," she said.
Giffords, who is still undergoing outpatient therapy, added: "I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy."
Her vote in favour of the bill was one of 269 that sent it through the House with a hefty majority. Hers was without doubt the most enthusiastically greeted.
"It was one of the most thrilling moments for all of us to see this real heroine return to the House and to do so at such a dramatic time," said the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, who welcomed Giffords back with what she called "girl hugs".
On the House floor, Pelosi paid tribute to a woman she called "the personification of courage, of sincerity, of admiration throughout the country".
She said: "There isn't a name that stirs more love, more admiration, more respect. Thank you, Gabby."
Leaning on an aide and with her once-blonde hair cropped and brown, Giffords appeared strikingly different from when she was sworn in as a third-term congresswoman in January. Days after that, she narrowly escaped death in a shooting spree during a "Congress on Your Corner" gathering in the car park of a Tucson supermarket. Six people were killed; Jared Lee Loughner has been charged with the attack – in May was declared unfit for trial.
At the vote, Giffords was accompanied by her husband, Mark Kelly, an astronaut who announced his retirement from Nasa in June, citing his wife's medical needs.
Politicians of both parties paid tribute to Giffords's courage. "She is a model for the attitude that we should all have because she is tenacious and she is relentless in her love for America. You were missed and we're glad to have you back," said the Texas Republican Ted Poe.
Biden told the Associated Press after the vote: "She's remarkable. She's the embodiment of a strong, strong, strong woman. Think about what that woman's been through, and think about her determination."
Late on Monday, a message was posted on Giffords's Twitter feed. "The Capitol looks beautiful," it read. "And I am honored to be at work tonight."
