Pres. Obama held a national "Moment of Silence" for the victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson, AZ, that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in critical condition and killed six others, including a federal judge. The President observed the tribute to the injured and the dead today on the White House South Lawn.
Chief Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael LeMole related that there was no change in Rep. Giffords' condition and she remained responsive to doctors at a medical briefing earlier today. "At this phase in the game, no change is good and we have no change," added Dr. Lemole. Hospital staff also reported on the status of the eight other shooting victims, with two in intensive care and one in critical condition.
The Arizona representative, who was recently re-elected to a 3rd term, was attending a "Congress on Your Corner" event when the alleged gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, opened fire on the crowd. Among the dead were U.S. District Judge John Roll and nine-year-old school girl. A federal judge issued a five-count complaint against Loughner on Sunday, for attempted murder of a member of Congress and the murder of federal employees.
A cab driver who had driven Loughner to the event was cleared of any involvement in the crime after he was questioned by authorities on Sunday.
FBI Director Robert Mueller, addressing reporters at a Pima County Sheriff's briefing, said "it is too early to determine the motive" in the shooting. Responding to a question about the link between violent language online and the gunman's actions, Dir. Mueller said that "hate speech on the Internet presents a challenge to us."
Also on Sunday, House Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson (CT) told reporters that there would be no votes scheduled in the House this week. Rep. Larson was reporting on a conference call between Bill Livingood, House sergeant at arms, and some 800 congressmen and spouses to review recommended security measures.
Earlier in the day, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced that the debate to repeal the health care bill will be postponed from this week to a later date.