Chastising Wilson, House Democrats Cite Precedents And Say Apology To Chamber "Would've Ended The Matter"

September 16, 2009 6:57 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Seven from the GOP including Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-SC) fellow Republican from South Carolina, Rep. Robert Inglis (R-SC), voted late Tuesday for a resolution reprimanding Wilson for his outburst during President Barack Obama's healthcare speech before a joint session of Congress last week.

By a 240-179 vote, lawmakers approved a privileged resolution from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) stating, "The conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House... the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina."

During the hour of debate devoted before the vote, Hoyer said, "None of us, none of us is happy to be here considering this resolution. I know I am not... what is at issue here is of importance to this House and to our country, and that issue is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum that our rules and our democracy contemplate and require.

Hoyer cited the the House Code of Official Conduct requires that each Member, to "conduct himself at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives" and said an apology to the chamber would have ended the matter.

"Mr. Wilson did, in fact, apologize to the President through Mr. Emanuel," Hoyer continued, "However, it was the House itself whose rules were offended. And as Mr. Inglis, Mr. Wilson's colleague, observed, and again I quote, 'He should apologize to the House,'' -- to the House -- ``for the rule violation.'' Mr. Inglis went on to add, 'That would end the matter' ... last Thursday, based upon what a Republican leader told me... it was what I expected Mr. Wilson to do."

"Many Members have done that in the past... That has happened on both sides of the aisle where Members have done things that they thought brought discredit to the House and they came to this floor... to say, I apologize. This resolution is not about the substance of an issue, but about the conduct we expect of one another in the course of doing our business... I want to say personally that I know Mr. Wilson. We've had a good relationship. I expect to continue to have a good relationship. I found him a man of measured conduct. I was surprised. I think he was probably surprised as well. A simple apology to this House would have ended the matter."

Wilson responded, "There are far more important issues facing this Nation than what we are addressing right now... The President said, `'The time for games is over.' I agree with the President. He graciously accepted my apology, and the issue is over."

"This action today will have done nothing for the taxpayers to rein in the growing cost and size of the Federal Government," Wilson added. "It will not help more Americans secure jobs, promote better education, ensure retirement, or reform health insurance... It is time that we move forward and get to work for the American people."

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) also argued, "We all know Joe Wilson. He is a decent man, and to put him through this on the floor of the House I think is unacceptable and it is a partisan stunt. There has been behavior that has gone on around here far more serious than this, and it didn't bring a resolution to the floor to condemn someone's behavior."

But House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the most powerful African-American in Congress, rebutted, "This is not a partisan stunt. I do not participate in partisan stunts, and I think every Member here knows that. This is about the proper decorum that should take place on the floor of the United States House of Representatives."

"And I would like to say to the [Republican] leader, and I think he knows, that he has not represented the facts correctly. On October 23, 2007, a Member of this body, Representative Stark, came to this floor and apologized for behavior, as I read, 'I want to apologize to first of all my colleagues, many of whom have been offended,'and then he went on to say to the President, to his family, to the troops...I would remind the leader on July 23 [2003], Chairman Thomas came to this floor and he offered an apology: 'Because of my poor judgment, the stewardship of my party as majority party in the House has been unfairly criticized,' and he went on to apologize."

Clyburn was referring to Rep. Pete Stark's (D-CA) apology for saying during a heated floor debate, "Republicans sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq.. you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement."

The apology from former Rep. Bill Thomas, a Republican, was for his calling the U.S. Capitol Police to evict Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee, which at the time he chaired, from the House library while a panel meeting was ongoing. Thomas had issued a tearful apology upon orders of the GOP leadership, which then held the majority.

Obama was saying his healthcare agenda would not include benefits for illegal immigrants during his speech to a joint session Wednesday night when Wilson shouted "You lie!" while pointing a finger at the President. The gesture was met by a stream of tweets condemning the congressman as a "jerk" and "bumbling idiot," as well as supporting him for "speaking the truth."

The Democratic candidate for Wilson's seat in next year's elections, former Marine Rob Miller, received over $400,000 in campaign contributions in the two days following the outburst, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducting over the same two days found that the Wilson has turned from a safe to vulnerable incumbent, with Miller now statistically tied with him in support among voters, 44 to 43 percent.

Wilson, a former state senator and U.S. Energy Department deputy general counsel during the Reagan administration, released a statement that same night of his outburst saying he regrets letting his emotions get the best of him.

The 62-year-old congressman has refused to apologize to the House as an institution, and last Friday he released a campaign video saying he "will not be muzzled" by "liberals... [who] "want to silence" the opposition.

Obama last Thursday said he accepted the congressman's apology and that "we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst in other people's motives."