Gabrielle Giffords : Upgraded to 'Good' Condition and Moved to Houston Rehab Facility

 the Arizona Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head almost three weeks ago, has been upgraded from serious to good condition and has been transferred to the Memorial Hermann TIRR facility to begin her rehabilitation.

She had become an unseen presence at Tuesday night's State of the Union Address. President Barack Obama, Paul Ryan, who gave the Republican response, and Michele Bachmann, who gave the tea party response, each began their remarks with effusive praise and good wishes for Giffords. Members of Congress wore black and white ribbons to show solidarity with the victims of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting. Giffords apparently watched the televised coverage of the State of the Union with her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly.

Thus the plight of Giffords and her struggle to get better provided an odd and perhaps reassuring focus of unity among across the political divide in America. As Americans fight over everything from repealing health care reform to cutting back on government spending, the progress of a young congresswoman in a Houston hospital will be watched with great interest by everyone.

That bit of unity did have an exception, however. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, another Democrat, moved to have Giffords removed from the House Armed Services Committee "pending her return to Congress."

Coming just over two weeks after Giffords was shot, the move was seen as happening just a little too soon and was squashed quickly to bipartisan outrage. The Democrats are in the minority and the absence of Giffords from House Armed Services or any other committee is not likely to be decisive.

Giffords was named ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, a subcommittee of which she was chairwoman, without any comment. Rep. Jerry Costello will be acting ranking member pending Giffords' return.

Whether Giffords has a future in the 112th Congress depends on the duration and the extent of her rehabilitation. When and if she will return to her duties, strenuous even for someone of good health, will be up to her and her doctors. However, there may be some point in the future when it may be necessary to revisit the issue of committee assignments and even Giffords' continued status as a member of Congress.

But clearly Sanchez jumped the gun. There have been a number of members of Congress who have had to take medical leave, some lasting for months, and have been able to return.