House votes to admonish Rep. Wilson for outburst

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers in the House voted 240-179 Tuesday to formally admonish Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for shouting "You lie" to President Obama during his health care speech to Congress last week.

The relatively tight vote appeared to reflect the divisions over the outburst. Democrats said Wilson's behavior during Obama's speech to Congress last week was an egregious display of disrespect that could not be ignored. Republicans accused the majority party of hypocrisy and wasting the taxpayers' time.

Wilson has declined to back down on his position that he owed the House no apology for the outburst. Wilson did express sorrow to Obama, who accepted the apology.

The resolution added to the already-toxic atmosphere of partisanship in the House.

"At issue," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said earlier, "is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum that our rules and our democracy contemplate and require."

Wilson, speaking after Democrat Hoyer, refused to back down. "I think it is clear to the American people that there are far more important issues facing this nation than what we're addressing right now." He said Obama had "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over."

The resolution marks the first time in the 220-year history of the House that a member had been admonished for speaking out while the president was giving an address, according to the Office of the House Historian. A resolution of disapproval is less severe than other disciplinary action available to the House, including censure or expulsion.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Wilson reiterated his regrets for shouting "You lie!" in the middle of Obama's health care speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. "I would never do that again," Wilson said. But he rejected demands from some of his colleagues, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., that he deliver a formal apology on the House floor.

"I have apologized to the president," Wilson said. "I believe that is sufficient."