House Reprimands Joe Wilson For 'You Lie!' Outburst

The House voted 240 to 179 Tuesday afternoon to formally reprimand Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) for yelling "You lie!" at President Obama during his health care address to a joint session of Congress last week. A total of 233 Democrats and seven Republicans voted in favor of the measure, while 12 Democrats and 167 Republicans opposed it.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina introduced the resolution of disapproval, which said Wilson's conduct was "a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session." Although the House has more severe options to discipline its members, including censure, a fine or even expulsion, Democratic leaders chose the mildest form of punishment for Wilson.


The House's code of conduct says that "a lawmaker shall conduct himself at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives."

After Obama's speech, Wilson phoned White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and offered an apology to the president, which Obama accepted. But Hoyer and Clyburn said that because Wilson refused to apologize to his colleagues, "the House is compelled to respond."

Hoyer called the resolution "very mild" and said, "Mr. Wilson could have resolved this himself." Last week, Hoyer allowed time for Wilson to apologize on the House floor at the request of Republicans leaders, but Wilson refused. Hoyer said Tuesday, "The president of the United States was a guest of the House . . . and the conduct that was participated in was inappropriate. I think it's appropriate for the House to say to any member, 'This is not the conduct we're going to expose the president to.'"

An hour of debate preceded the vote, with Democrats insisting the reprimand was essential to ensure civility and decorum in Congress. Clyburn said, "This hall is the most prominent classroom in this great country, and all of us are teachers. We are bound by duty and the offices we hold to conduct ourselves as such."

Republicans in turn accused Democrats of a partisan show and wasting time that would have been better spent debating health care reform or the economy.

Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio called the House resolution a witch hunt. "We all know Joe Wilson," Boehner said. "He is a decent man. To put him through this on the House of the floor is unacceptable and is a partisan stunt." Boehner also said that disciplining a member of Congress for poor behavior in the House set a troubling precedent. "My goodness, we could be doing this every day of the week," Boehner said.

Before the vote, Wilson spoke in his own defense. He said he was humbled and grateful for the support and prayers he had received. "I think it is clear to the American people that there are far more important matters than the one we are dealing with right now," he said. "It is time to get to work for the American people."

The resolution said:

"Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and

"Whereas 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: Now, therefore, be it resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009."

Before the vote, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) told reporters that a failure to punish Wilson would be tacit approval of racism. "I guess we will have folks out in white hoods and white uniforms again riding around the countryside intimidating people -- that's the message that it sends," Johnson said.

GOP Chairman Michael Steele said, "Democrats don't want an apology. They want a side show."