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Congresswoman Giffords able to stand

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has reached another important milestone in her recovery: She is now able to stand up.

Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has reached another important milestone in her recovery: She is now able to stand up.

Hospital spokeswoman Janet Stark said Giffords was able to stand on her feet with assistance from medical staff Wednesday and look out the window of her hospital room.

The progress came as Giffords, 40, prepared to move to a rehabilitation facility in Houston this week to begin the next phase of her recovery.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, seen in a March 2010 photo, was able to stand and look outside the window. ((Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords/Associated Press))

Giffords was shot through the head less than two weeks ago while hosting a political event outside a grocery store in Tuscon.  Six people were killed and 13 wounded in the Jan. 8 attack.

In Arizona, a federal grand jury has indicted the suspect in the shooting.

The indictment against Jared Loughner accuses him of attempting to assassinate Giffords and trying to kill two of her aides.

It does not include two murder charges included in an earlier criminal complaint for the deaths of another Giffords aide and a federal judge.

U.S. attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke said Wednesday's initial indictment was just the beginning of federal legal action against the 22-year-old Tucson resident.

Calls to each of Loughner's attorneys, Judy Clarke and Mark Fleming, weren't immediately returned Wednesday evening.