Paul Ryan: 'An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us'

In a rare plea for bipartisanship, leaders of both parties in the U.S. House of Representatives called for Republicans and Democrats to come together in the wake of a shooting Wednesday morning that wounded Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

"We are united," Majority Leader Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said on the floor of the chamber. "We are united in our shock. We are united in our anguish. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us."

The remarks garnered a standing ovation from members on both sides of the aisle.

"Every day we come here to test and to challenge each other," Ryan said. "We feel so deeply about the things we fight for and the things we believe in. At times, our emotions can clearly get the best of us. But we do not shed our humanity when we enter this chamber."

He continued: "Before this House returns to its business, let's just slow down and reflect to think about how we're all being tested right now because we're all being tested right now. I ask each of you to join me to resolve to come together. To lift each other up. To show the world we are one."

"It's that humanity that will win the day and it always will," Ryan said.

The speaker was followed by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who evoked the same sentiment.

"We are called for a purpose to this body and we know what it means to each of us to serve and we recognize that in others," she said. "We also recognize that you have your constituents and we have ours, and we respect you and your constituents who sent us here, but we do have our differences."

"My prayer," she continued, "is we can resolve our differences."

Both Ryan and Pelosi praised the Capitol Police for their bravery in returning fire, as well as the Alexandria first responders, who were on the scene within minutes.

"It is clear to me based on various eyewitness accounts that without these two heroes, Agent Griner and Agent Bailey, many lives would have been lost," Ryan said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 7 a.m. at a baseball field in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, where Republican members of Congress were practicing for a charity baseball game set to take place Thursday evening.

Along with Scalise, the third-ranking Republican in the House, the shooter also wounded two U.S. Capitol Police officers and a staff member for Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas.

Scalise is the first member of Congress to be shot since a January 2011 attack in Arizona in which former Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was severely wounded and six other people were killed.

President Donald Trump confirmed in an address from the White House that the shooter, now confirmed as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson from Bellville, Illinois, has died from injuries.

Paul and Pelosi said that the charity baseball game will not be canceled or rescheduled.

"Knowing Steve Scalise like we all do, he is likely really frustrated that he won't be able to play in the baseball game," Ryan joked.

"Sports are a wonderful thing in our country, one of the most unifying," Pelosi said. "Tomorrow we will go out on the field and root for our teams. We will use this occasion as one that will bring us together and not separate us further."