Tags : Congress, house tells joe wilson STFU, in the house, joe wilson, the house, you lie
House To Vote On Resolution Reprimanding Wilson
The House has reconvened for its morning business. A vote is expected later in the day on a resolution from Democrats sanctioning Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) for his “You lie” outburst last week during President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress.
Lawmakers will consider several suspension bills, including measures helping the U.S. Postal Service overcome record deficits, throughout the day before holding votes. Votes are scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm ET.
The vote on the resolution will be along party lines. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said in a statement late Monday, “Rep. Wilson has apologized to the President, and the President accepted his apology. Last Thursday, Speaker Pelosi said that she believed it was time to move on and discuss health care. I couldn’t agree more, and that’s why I plan to vote ‘no’ on this resolution.”
“Instead of pursuing this type of petty partisanship, we should be working together to lower costs and expand access to affordable, high-quality health coverage on behalf of the American people,” Boehner added.
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) also called the vote “politics,” and Rep. John Carter (R-TX) said Democrats were using “double standards” by “jump[ing] through the ceiling over an inappropriate verbal outburst” while “they continue to turn a blind eye to the ongoing House ethics crisis caused by the decade-long failure of House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel to report and pay federal taxes.”
Rangel has been facing calls since last year to resign as the nation’s top tax-law writer because of, among other allegations, his failure to include income from a Dominican Republic villa in his tax returns. Last month, he amended his 2007 financial disclosure form to include a $500,000 in assets.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in her weekly press briefing had not expressed support for censuring Wilson. And President Barack 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.”
While most in the GOP are expected to oppose the resolution, Wilson’s fellow Republican from South Carolina may support it.
In Tuesday morning tweets, Rep. Robert Inglis (R-SC) said, “Just said to GOP Conference meeting what I said privately to Joe Wilson: apologize to House for rule violation… Part 1: Joe Wilson apologized to President. Part 2: He should apologize to House for rule violation. Joe Wilson analogy: I speed, lose control of my car and hit your car. Part 1: I fix your car. Part 2: I pay my speeding ticket. Case closed.”
Wednesday night, Obama was saying his healthcare agenda would not include benefits for illegal immigrants during his speech 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 the congressman’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. He also tried to phone Obama to apologize but his call was received by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
But he has refused to apologize again, and last Friday he released a campaign video saying he “will not be muzzled” by liberals who “want to silence” the opposition.
On Monday, the 62-year-old congressman said in a minute-long floor speech 95 percent of his constituents support healthcare reform but not a government takeover, and that the administration’s proposal would cause 100 million people to lose their current coverage and 1.6 million jobs to be lost.
Related posts:
- Wilson wasn’t the only one to diss the President during his speech
- Defiant In Campaign Video, Wilson Says “I Will Not Be Muzzled”
- House To Vote On Extending Jobless Benefits
- “Joe Wilson is Your Pre-Existing Condition” becomes overnight sensation
- Congressman’s Heckling Of Obama Prompts Twitter Rage, Downs Official Website
