The fight to keep the brain- damaged woman alive, however, is not over, federal lawmakers and Schiavo's parents said.

Twice before the 41-year- old St. Petersburg woman's feeding tube has been removed, and twice before Bob and Mary Schindler found a way to have it reinserted against the wishes of their son- in-law.

Schiavo is expected to remain alive for a week to 10 or more days, and she had gone six days without food in October 2003 before Gov. Jeb Bush intervened based on a state law that was subsequently deemed unconstitutional.

On Friday, the Schindlers shuttled between their daughter's bedside and a small office across the street from Hospice House Woodside, where the Gulfport couple sought refuge from crowds of reporters and demonstrators.

Confusion over distant events left the couple in the dark as to whether - or when - their daughter's feeding would be halted for the third time, Bob Schindler said.

``It's one of those whirlwind things again,'' Schindler said. ``I don't know what's going on.''

The couple are weary from constant travel - they flew to Tallahassee to meet lawmakers Thursday and then had to drive back through the night - but they will not give up as long as their daughter remains alive, Schindler said.

Last Rites Given

As judges at the local, federal and state Supreme Court levels considered and rejected attempts to block the feeding tube's removal, the Schindlers sat by their daughter's bedside while Monsignor Thaddeus Malanowski administered the last rites of the Catholic Church, the priest reported afterward.

Circuit Judge George Greer, who has repeatedly ordered the feeding tube's removal based on his findings at a 2000 nonjury trial, had granted special permission for Terri Schiavo to receive communion via her feeding tube prior to its removal.

Malanowski said he anointed Schiavo with holy oil, then used an eye dropper to transfer a few droplets of consecrated wine into the feeding tube.

``Everybody was calm and peaceful,'' the priest said. ``I thought the mother [Mary Schindler] might faint but no, the mother was strong until just a half-hour ago.''

Shortly before 1:45 p.m., almost an hour after the tube was supposed to be removed, hospice officials asked Mary Schindler and other family members to leave so the removal could take place, Malanowski said.

Michael Schiavo, who was with his wife when the tube was removed once before in 2003, found the prospect of being with her again too upsetting, so he didn't join her until after the procedure was over, said his attorney, George Felos.

Those present included Terri Schiavo's physician and a number of hospice workers, Felos said.

``It was a very calm, peaceful procedure with a degree of emotion, and those there felt the need to pray,'' Felos said.

The Schindlers did not learn the tube had been removed until about 3:30 p.m., when Mary Schindler ``broke down'' from the pressure, Malinowski said.

Minutes later, the Schindlers slipped one-by-one into a relative's car and drove away unnoticed by most of the crowd.

Frenzied Day In Court

The quiet departure capped a day of frenzied activity by lawyers acting on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Citing a new ``inquiry into the long term care of incapacitated adults, an issue of growing importance to the federal government,'' the committee sent U.S. marshals to serve Michael and Terri Schiavo with subpoenas to appear as witnesses at a committee hearing scheduled to take place at the hospice March 25.

Subpoenas were also served on Schiavo physicians Victor Gambone and Stanton Tripodis and on hospice director Annie Santamaria, court documents state.

The subpoenas required those receiving them to maintain Terri Schiavo's feeding regimen or ``face criminal charges for obstruction of justice and contempt of Congress,'' court documents state.

Greer, who ruled that testimony in the 2000 trial showed that Terri Schiavo would not want to be kept alive with a feeding tube, sounded testy at a hastily convened hearing over the telephone that did not get under way until minutes before the tube was supposed to be removed.

After hearing Kerry Kircher, deputy general counsel for the House of Representatives, request a nine-day postponement of the tube's removal, Greer refused.

``I heard no cogent reason why the committee should be able to intervene. This is a case involving a person's decision on whether or not to remain on life support,'' Greer said.

The judge pointed out that his 2000 decision has been the subject of five years of appeals and widespread publicity.

Michael Schiavo contends that his wife has been in a persistent vegetative state since suffering heart failure in 1990 at age 26. Her parents say she reacts to them and could improve with therapy.

``Your committee choosing to do something today doesn't create an emergency,'' the judge said.

Greer ordered the tube's immediate removal.

Kircher then filed a similar petition for a stay with the Florida Supreme Court. It was quickly rejected as moot, without further explanation.

Meanwhile in Tampa, U.S. District Judge James Moody denied a petition filed Friday morning by the Schindlers seeking a temporary injunction on the grounds Terri Schiavo's constitutional rights had been violated by Judge Greer, Michael Schiavo and state Attorney General Charlie Crist.

Moody said he had no jurisdiction to enter the case.

`This Is Not Over'

The last-minute federal activity prompted Michael Schiavo's attorney to again rail against politicians inserting themselves into a family dispute.

``To think that your parent or loved one could be in a nursing home, in a hospital, and a congressman can issue a subpoena forcing you to have your loved one treated against their will is absolutely shocking and the lowest, just the lowest type of political strong- arming,'' Felos said.

``Not one of those political leaders ... would ever, ever submit their own family member to the indignity and the illegality that has been shown on Mrs. Schiavo. Yet, for political gain they can do it to her,'' he said.

In Washington, where Congress was expected to wind down after a last-minute flurry of Republican-led activity aimed at keeping Schiavo's feeding tube attached unraveled, the scene was chaotic.

Politicians on both sides of the protracted debate grew angry at the maneuvers of the opposing party, culminating Friday with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay declaring the feeding tube removal to be ``an act of barbarism'' and ``medical terrorism.''

``This is not over,'' he went on. ``To friends, family and millions of people praying around the world this Palm Sunday weekend: Do not be afraid. Terri Schiavo will not be forsaken. ... Congress will continue working to explore ways to save her.''

Tampa Rep. Jim Davis was among Democrats outraged over persistent attempts at legislative intervention.

``I've never seen such abuse of power by politicians as we're witnessing now,'' Davis said.

California Rep. Henry Waxman, also a Democrat, accused his colleagues of ``turning the Schiavo family's personal tragedy into a national political farce.''

Reporters Keith Epstein, Allison North Jones, Elaine Silvestrini, Angela Delgado and Stephen Thompson contributed to this report.