[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 21662-21668]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the 
House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 744

       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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution presents a question of the 
privileges of the House.
  Pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) each will control 30 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  Mr. Speaker and ladies and gentlemen of the House, none of us, none 
of us is happy to be here considering this resolution. I know I am not.
  At the same time, my colleagues, 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.
  The House Code of Official Conduct requires that each Member, every 
one of us, each and every one of us ``conduct himself,'' and I'm 
quoting from the rule, ``at all times in a manner which shall reflect 
creditably on the House of Representatives.''
  There seems to be little or no disagreement that Mr. Wilson did not 
so conduct himself on the evening of September 9. Senator John McCain 
was quoted as saying that Mr. Wilson's behavior was ``totally 
disrespectful.'' He went on to say, ``There is no place for it in that 
setting, or any other, and he should apologize for it immediately.''
  Mr. Wilson did, in fact, apologize to the President through Mr. 
Emanuel, the President's Chief of Staff.
  However, it was the House itself whose rules were offended. And as 
Mr. Inglis, Mr. Wilson's colleague, a Republican colleague from South 
Carolina, 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.''
  I had made a similar representation to the Republican leader, and I 
believe that would have ended the matter. I know that is what the 
Republican leaders of the House thought would be appropriate and what 
the Republican leader talked to Mr. Wilson about doing. He said so to 
the press.
  Indeed, last Thursday, based upon what a Republican leader told me, 
not Mr. Boehner, that morning, it was what I expected Mr. Wilson to do. 
As a result, I held open the time between the next-to-the-last vote and 
the very last vote to give Mr. Wilson an opportunity to express an 
apology to the House. As all of us know, many Members have done that in 
the past, reflecting upon conduct they thought was not appropriate; and 
as a result, they came to this floor. 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 that rostrum and 
to this, to say, I apologize. Mr. Inglis is correct: that would have 
ended the matter.
  However, for whatever reason, Mr. Wilson has decided not to take any 
further action. In light of that, this resolution simply states the 
House's disapproval of Mr. Wilson's words and actions.
  As Republican Whip Cantor is quoted as saying, ``Obviously the 
President of the United States is always welcome on Capitol Hill and he 
deserves respect and decorum.'' Surely all of us believe that's 
correct. Surely all of us, hopefully all of us, believe that when we 
invite a President of either party to come to this House and address a 
joint session of Congress that he ought to expect and we ought to 
expect that we will accord to him the decorum and courtesy of which Mr. 
Cantor spoke.
  The Republican leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, added, ``I 
think we ought to treat the President with respect, and anything other 
than that is not appropriate.'' That's what this resolution is about. 
It's a resolution of disapproval.
  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. 
Senator John Cornyn, the chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign 
Committee, stated this: ``There's a time and a place for everything, 
and that was not the time or the place for that kind of comment.''
  In the absence of Mr. Wilson's expressing his regret for acting in a 
manner that almost all agree, every Republican that I have talked to as 
well as

[[Page 21663]]

every Democrat that I have talked to, was inappropriate and contrary to 
the spirit of the rules of the House and the common courtesy that we 
should extend to all, and particularly to the President of the United 
States of America, our President, we have brought forward this 
resolution. I expected to extend that same courtesy with every 
President with whom I have served, be they Republican or Democrat.
  We consider this resolution as a result of Mr. Wilson's failure to 
follow the advice of his leadership and a number of his Republican and 
Democratic colleagues who have told me that they have talked to him.
  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.
  But this House ought not to stand silent in the face of conduct that 
almost universally, and by Mr. Wilson himself, was felt to be 
inappropriate. It is an expression of the people's House that neither 
Presidents nor any of us ought to expect to be subjected to such 
conduct in the course of our business in this, the people's House.
  The resolution says simply what hopefully all of us feel, that we 
disapprove of the conduct cited and let others know that such conduct 
is neither welcome nor approved by the House of Representatives.
  At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), and I ask unanimous 
consent that he control the balance of that time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Thank you, Mr. Leader. I appreciate 
your service for America, and I further respect the majority leader, 
Mr. Hoyer.
  Mr. Speaker, I am humbled and grateful for the support and prayers of 
my wife, Roxanne, my four sons, my staff, the people of South Carolina, 
my colleagues, and the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is clear to the American people that 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.
  However, this action today will have done nothing for the taxpayers 
to rein in the growing cost and size of the Federal Government. It will 
not help more Americans secure jobs, promote better education, ensure 
retirement, or reform health insurance.
  It is the Democrat leadership, in their rush to pass a very bad 
government health care plan, that is bad medicine for America. It has 
muzzled the voices we represent and provoked partisanship.
  When we are done here today, we will not have taken any steps closer 
to helping more American families afford health insurance or helping 
small businesses create new jobs.
  The challenges our Nation faces are far bigger than any one Member of 
this House. It is time that we move forward and get to work for the 
American people.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, this resolution addresses an issue of great 
importance to current and future Members of this august body: the 
proper conduct of its Members.
  Despite statements made by various leaders of the other party, this 
is not about partisan politics or inappropriate comments. To the 
contrary, this is about the rules of this House and reprehensible 
conduct.

                              {time}  1630

  I stand here as a former schoolteacher and the proud father of a 
current public schoolteacher who teaches in the congressional district 
represented by Congressman Wilson. My grandchildren attend schools in 
that district.
  But, Mr. Speaker, 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. Classroom teachers and 
schoolchildren across the country and around the world looking in on 
our proceedings should see proper decorum and hear civil discourse. Our 
teachers are expected to teach our children to learn proper behavior. 
All of us are expected to give appropriate support and deference to the 
institutions that help us develop and maintain a civil and orderly 
society.
  Our three separate branches of government have defined roles to play 
in this process, and those of us who hold positions within these 
branches are expected and are duty bound to treat each other with 
proper dignity and respect. Whether we like it or not, teachers and 
students see us as role models.
  But none of us is perfect. We all make mistakes, and we sometimes 
fall short of expectations. But when we do, proper contrition is 
expected. When one of us, while seated in a formal session, severely 
violates the rules of this body by shamelessly hurling accusations of 
mendacity towards a President of these United States, our Commander in 
Chief, and refuses to formally express remorse, we, at a minimum, are 
duty bound to express our disapproval. Our teachers, our students, and 
constituents deserve no less.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I recognize myself for as much time as I 
may consume.
  I think this is a sad day for the House of Representatives. I think 
that this is nothing more than a partisan stunt aimed at trying to 
divert people's attention from the real issue that the American people 
want to talk about, and that is health care.
  The gentleman from South Carolina made it clear the other night when 
he told the President's Chief of Staff that his behavior was 
inappropriate, and that is why he was calling to apologize to the 
President. The President graciously accepted his apology.
  And last Friday, none other than the Speaker of the House, herself, 
said it is time for us to talk about health care and not Mr. Wilson. 
Now, the Speaker and I don't see eye to eye on every issue, but on this 
issue I think I am in full agreement with her.
  Joe Wilson is a decent human being. He did the right thing. He called 
the President and apologized, and the President was gracious enough to 
accept it. And I just believe that a man who has spent 25 years of his 
life in public service in the State senate and here in Congress, who 
has four sons, all of whom were in the military, three of whom served 
in Iraq, 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.
  Yes, people have made mistakes. Some have come down to the floor and 
apologized, others have not. But none of it, none of it required a 
resolution. And to think that the precedent that is being set here 
today, the precedent, think about it, never has this happened before, 
that we are going to bring a resolution of disapproving of his 
behavior. My goodness, we could be doing this every day of the week.
  The American people sent us here to work together to solve the 
problems of our country. They didn't send us here to talk about our 
behavior. They didn't send us here to do that. What they want us to do 
is to deal with the issue of health care.
  The President said we ought to work in a bipartisan fashion to get 
health care reform accomplished. I agree with the President. I'm here. 
I'm willing. I'm able. Set the time and the place, and we will be there 
with our solutions to the health care problems in the country.

[[Page 21664]]

  But to divert the Nation's attention from the issues they care about, 
health care, trying to make sure that we get jobs back into our 
economy, trying to do something about record deficits and record debt, 
no, no, no, we are not doing any of that. We are here on some witch 
hunt, some partisan stunt that the American people are not going to 
respect.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all persons in the 
gallery that they are here as guests of the House, and any 
manifestation of approval or disapproval of the proceedings or other 
audible conversation is in violation of the rules of the House.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to first of all say to my friend, 
the leader, that before coming to this Congress I spent 18 years 
running a State agency in South Carolina. In those 18 years, I worked 
for four Governors--two Democrats and two Republicans. Many of you 
remember that one of those Republicans for whom I worked for 8 years 
was Carroll Campbell, a former Member of this body. We were good 
friends. We often consulted with each other in the evenings, but we 
always respected each other even though we were poles apart 
politically.
  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 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. That took place on 
this floor in 2007 on October 23.
  Then I would remind the leader on July 23, which incidentally happens 
to be Carroll Campbell's birthday, on July 23, 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.
  And so all we have ever asked is that this body, this House, receive 
from Mr. Wilson a similar statement of contrition. It is all about the 
decorum of this House.
  And I will reiterate, I have never stood on the floor of this House 
in my 17 years and participated in any kind of partisan stunt, and I 
think the other side knows that.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the Republican whip, Mr. Cantor.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader.
  Mr. Speaker, I am having some difficulty understanding how it is that 
we are on the floor today debating this resolution. I would like to 
first speak to the claims made by my colleague on the other side of the 
aisle, the majority whip, in pointing out what are alleged to be 
precedents for this resolution.
  As he knows, those instances that he referred to, whether it be the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Stark) or the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Thomas) when they came to the well of this body to speak to our 
colleagues, it was as a result of conduct displayed, number one, in the 
case of Mr. Stark, during debate on the floor of this House, and number 
two, on the part of Mr. Thomas, conduct that took place among members 
in a committee on which I sit, the Ways and Means, two very distinct 
situations from the one we have here at hand.
  Again, I don't understand how it is a priority that we are here on 
this particular resolution. The resolution, as has been pointed out, 
creates no job. The resolution does nothing to do anything to increase 
access to quality health care. The resolution does nothing to address 
the issues of national security. Plain and simple, this resolution does 
not reflect the priority of the American people.
  Now, President Obama came to this Chamber last week and he admonished 
us, Mr. Speaker. He admonished us to stop with the partisan bickering. 
In fact, he echoed the sentiments that he expressed during his 
inaugural address when he said, ``We may still be a young Nation, but 
it is time to set aside childish things.''
  Now, as the leader said, as the gentleman from South Carolina himself 
said, he admits that what he did was inappropriate. He was on national 
television indicating he shouldn't have done it. He wouldn't do it 
again. He also said to the Nation, he called the President. As the 
leader indicated, the President graciously accepted the apology. I am 
told the Vice President has also accepted the apology. What more does 
the gentleman want? That's why I am at a loss as to what this is if it 
is not a partisan stunt.
  So I believe we ought to accept what the President and the Speaker 
and others have said: Let's get on with the business of the people. 
Let's try and get over the divide and stick to the course of trying to 
work on things we agree on, or things that we have a potential to do 
away with the disagreements, not the partisanship.
  Now, this is the bill. This is the famed H.R. 3200, Mr. Speaker, and 
there are several issues in here the American people have spoken out 
on. The first is the claim that we ought to be able to keep what we 
have if we are talking about health insurance. On page 16 of the bill, 
there is a section entitled, ``Protecting the Choice to Keep Current 
Coverage.'' That's what we all are trying to do for the 85 or some 
percent of this country who has health insurance.
  You know what, our side says despite that title, there are provisions 
in there which begin to require individuals and their insurers to do 
certain things which make it somewhat difficult if not impossible to 
allow for folks to keep what they have.
  The next issue that is of import certainly to the American people and 
to this body is the question of access to Federal benefits by those who 
are here illegally.
  Now, the President stood on this floor in this body, Mr. Speaker, and 
said that he did not believe that there was any access for those here 
illegally to Federal benefits. In fact, on page 143, there is a section 
which speaks to the issue that there should be no Federal benefit for 
those here illegally.
  The problem that we have on this side is there is no requirement of 
verification of legal status. And in fact the White House, in fact 
Senator Baucus and others have since come out and said, You know what, 
you're right. These are the kinds of things we could be doing right now 
to try and accomplish what it is that the American people have sent us 
here to do, and they expect us to do that in a deliberate manner that 
produces a positive result, which means we all have got to do that 
living within our means and to ensure that we do not break the bank in 
passing this health care reform measure.

                              {time}  1645

  So I implore this House, Mr. Speaker, let's try and get back to the 
business of the people.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers).
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise 
in opposition to this resolution. I think the facts are clear. 
Congressman Joe Wilson admitted himself that his actions were wrong and 
that he shouldn't have done it and that he won't do it again. Mr. 
Wilson apologized to the President, and that was the right thing to do.
  Mr. Speaker, how much longer does this go on? What are we really 
accomplishing here today? The President accepted Mr. Wilson's apology. 
Both the President and Mr. Wilson agreed it was time to move on. Just 
late last week, the Speaker of this House said, ``It's time for us to 
talk about health care and not Mr. Wilson.'' I couldn't agree more.

[[Page 21665]]

  Americans expect their elected officials to put aside partisan 
differences and work to solve the problems that are facing American 
families. Just last week, we were told, Let's put aside the partisan 
bickering.
  Instead of pursuing this petty partisanship, now is the time to work 
together on behalf of the American people. Hardworking families back 
home are worried about the economy. They're worried about losing their 
jobs. Hardworking American families all across this country want us to 
stop a government takeover of health care.
  Let's stop wasting time. Let's focus on tackling the challenges that 
face our country.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. I know Joe Wilson. I've worked with 
him in the halls of this Congress in committees and I have traveled 
with him to Iraq. A retired Army colonel, all four of his sons followed 
Joe into military service.
  In the 7 years that I have known him, I have never known Joe Wilson 
to say an unkind word about anyone. Joe is a good and honest man. He is 
the kind of person who, if he disagrees with you, does it without being 
disagreeable.
  Just as it was wrong for my Democrat colleagues to boo former 
President Bush in this Chamber, it was wrong for Joe Wilson to speak 
out of turn. The difference is that Joe Wilson apologized and the 
President very graciously accepted his apology.
  Every Member in this Chamber has uttered words they wish they could 
have said differently. I know Joe made his comment out of frustration 
because there seems to be a large gap between health care rhetoric and 
reality.
  What the President said did not match up with the bill that came 
before the House. This is the same bill that was discussed last month 
in many town hall meetings across our country. His comment provided 
Americans with an opportunity to discuss the differences between the 
bill they've seen and the ideas that the President mentioned in 
Wednesday's speech.
  On the issue of illegal immigrants in health care reform, in three 
committees here in this very House Republicans offered up amendments to 
clarify to ensure that illegal aliens would not be included in the 
health care reform bill. In all three committees, those amendments were 
resoundingly defeated by my Democrat colleagues.
  All Americans heard the President say, If you like your plan, you can 
keep it. But those words directly conflict with the CBO's findings that 
cuts to Medicare Advantage plans in H.R. 3200 would result in millions 
of seniors losing their current plan. That's not keeping the plan that 
they like.
  Further still, we heard the President say that his plan would not add 
one dime to our deficits. Again, that's contrary to CBO's findings that 
say that H.R. 3200 would increase deficits by $239 billion over 10 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of frustration in our districts and 
throughout America about H.R. 3200. We need to stop wasting time and 
get down to the business of drafting a bipartisan health care bill that 
addresses the needs of all Americans.
  Think of how many Americans lost their jobs and lost their health 
care coverage during this 1 hour of debate that we're having today. We 
need to get down to the serious business that our constituents sent us 
here for. That's the very least that we can do. That's our job.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, last week, the President came 
to this House for a joint session of Congress to discuss how we as a 
Nation will reform health care. The debate over health care has made 
clear that the American people are actually paying attention to what is 
happening here.
  During the President's speech, our colleague, Joe Wilson, made a 
mistake--a mistake that I believe was driven by both the substance and 
the emotion involved in this debate.
  Immediately after he made that mistake, Congressman Wilson did the 
appropriate thing. He immediately apologized to the President. 
President Obama very graciously accepted his apology.
  Mr. Speaker, recently, President Obama made a mistake when referring 
to actions of the Cambridge police while acknowledging that he did not 
have all the facts. In the national uproar that ensued, he called it a 
teachable moment. I thought that was a very human response to an 
incident that was blown totally out of proportion, in my opinion, and 
some actually inferred that it had racial overtones.
  I think what we have here today, Mr. Speaker, is a teachable moment, 
and it has nothing to do with race.
  Joe Wilson is a patriotic American who has defended our freedom in 
uniform as well as here in the United States Congress. He is the father 
of four sons who also served this Nation in uniform to defend our 
liberty, our freedom, our democracy. And we have all heard Joe Wilson 
speak on this floor, and he ends every floor statement with the same 
following words: God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September the 11th.
  Joe Wilson simply made a mistake and was forgiven by the person who 
was harmed by that mistake. Case closed. So why are we here? What can 
we be taught by forcing a vote on this resolution?
  Well, I believe what is going on here, Mr. Speaker, today, is a 
reflection of the unease among the American people as they have watched 
this Congress enact a $700 billion Wall Street bailout, a $787 billion 
economic stimulus bill, a $1.8 trillion deficit, this year alone, 
placed on the backs of their children and their grandchildren.
  They have been watching as Congress works on health care legislation 
that would fundamentally alter one of the most personal factors in 
their lives, and that is how to care for themselves and their families.
  During the August recess we saw the frustrations of the American 
people when they came out in large numbers to exercise their rights 
guaranteed under the First Amendment--the right to free speech, the 
right to peaceably assemble, and the right to redress their grievances 
before government. And how were they treated when they did this? Some 
leaders of this House called them un-American, or an angry mob. All of 
this for simply making their voices heard.
  I understand that democracy is sometimes difficult and it can instill 
passion. That passion, that love for our Nation and the belief in the 
idea that every American deserves to be heard is what makes America 
great. And we who are honored to serve here have a duty to listen.
  The acrimony that has developed here is what needs to be stopped. We 
need to stop and we need to listen to one another. We need to focus on 
the needs of the people and do the work that they sent us here to do. 
Most importantly, get our economy moving.
  I come from Michigan, where countless of my fellow citizens have lost 
their jobs and many have also lost their health care. The resolution 
that we are considering today will not create one job. It will not help 
one person get health care for their family. It will do nothing to 
allay the concerns of seniors who are worried about their Medicare. It 
will do nothing to get our economy moving again. It will simply inflame 
a debate that should have been over when President Obama accepted Joe 
Wilson's apology.
  We can do better. The American people can do better. And, hopefully, 
in this teachable moment, we will learn.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
Republican Conference chairman, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).

[[Page 21666]]


  Mr. PENCE. I rise today in opposition to the resolution of 
disapproval of Mr. Wilson. A friend of mine back in Indiana likes to 
say that Washington, D.C., is 100 square miles surrounded by reality. 
That never felt truer than it does today.
  Think about it. Our economy is struggling, families are hurting, and 
Congress is poised to demand an apology from a man who has already 
apologized. Extraordinary.
  First, let me stipulate that Joe Wilson is a good man and a man of 
integrity. He is a devoted husband to his beloved Roxanne, a proud 
father of four American servicemen.
  I have traveled with Joe into some pretty tight spots, like many of 
my Democrat colleagues have. I have seen his devotion to our soldiers. 
I have never failed to be inspired by his love for the men and women of 
this country in uniform, his love of his country, and his constituents.
  The Old Book tells us a harsh word stirs up anger. We might have seen 
a little bit of that last week. In the midst of a highly partisan 
speech by the President of the United States, Joe made a mistake. 
Immediately after the speech was over, Joe recognized his mistake and 
he offered his sincere apology to the President and the President's 
staff. And he was right to apologize. But it's important to note that, 
despite his admitted error, the broader national interest was actually 
served.
  The American people didn't send us here just to get along. They sent 
us here to get it right. Ironically, because of Joe Wilson's outburst, 
we have been engaged in nearly a week-long debate about what's really 
in H.R. 3200. In fact, now the American people know there's nothing in 
the Democrat's bill in the House that requires an individual to verify 
their identity or citizenship, leaving open the very possibility of 
undocumented workers receiving health care benefits. This was concurred 
in by the Congressional Research Service that noted in the absence ``of 
a provision in the bill specifying the verification procedure, 
undocumented immigrants could receive taxpayer-subsidized health 
benefits.''
  If you need any further proof, the White House clarified their 
position last Friday, stating their support for verification expressly 
of an individual's citizenship.
  Despite the controversy and the sound and the fury, Congress has a 
shot to get it a little more right than they would have otherwise.
  Let me speak, as I close, about the broader issue of bringing this 
resolution to the floor of the Congress today. I was home in Indiana 
yesterday. Hoosiers were shocked with the news that one of our most 
storied companies, Eli Lilly and Company, was announcing 5,500 layoffs.
  I was in Evansville, Indiana, in August, on the very day that 
Whirlpool announced they were closing a factory and sending more than a 
thousand jobs out of that city and out of this country forever.
  More than 2 million jobs have been lost since the so-called stimulus 
bill was passed. Fifteen million Americans were out of work. Yet here 
we are, taking time in the people's House to demand an apology from a 
man who has already apologized.
  The American people want better. The American people want less 
politics and more jobs. They want Congress to set aside petty partisan 
politics and come together to take action to get this economy moving 
again.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

                              {time}  1700

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. BOEHNER. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.
  Mr. PENCE. Last Wednesday was not a good day in the House, but today 
is worse. Today we see politics overwhelming this institution. The 
American people are tired.
  So let me say again, without the din of the gavel, I urge my 
colleagues to vote ``no'' on this resolution, put attention back on the 
work that the American people sent us here to perform, and that is to 
serve the interests of their families and the interests of this Nation 
with everything we've got. I'm with Joe; vote ``no.''
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time.
  Mr. Speaker, over the month of August, when Members were home in 
their districts, the American people were speaking loudly, and both 
Democrats and Republicans heard the message, I think, loud and clear. 
But as we stand here today, I would think the American people are 
probably looking at us wondering, do they really understand?
  The American people are saying enough is enough; enough of the 
politics here in Washington, enough of the spending, enough of the big 
government takeover. And yet, here we are on the floor of the House 
today debating a resolution that should not be here, putting a man's 
name in the record books of disapproving of his behavior.
  The gentleman from South Carolina admitted that he had made a 
mistake; he called the President and apologized. And yet, here we are 
on the floor of the House of Representatives debating a resolution 
describing his behavior. I think it's wrong. And I think we will rue 
the day that we set this precedent and brought this resolution to the 
floor.
  I would just ask all my colleagues to remember what it is that we're 
doing here and the precedent that's being set. It's wrong. So I would 
ask all my colleagues to do the right thing, to stand up and to vote 
``no'' on this resolution. Let's all respect our colleague who admitted 
his mistake and apologized. Let's all respect him. And the way that we 
do that is to vote ``no'' on this resolution.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close this discussion today 
using the balance of the time.
  Mr. Speaker, the Republican leader earlier referenced the great 
preacher whose reference can be found in the third chapter of the Book 
of Ecclesiastes. He said there's a time and a place for everything. I 
agree with that. I believe very seriously that there is going to be a 
time for us to discuss health care, a time for us to discuss energy 
policies, education, and the economy. But Mr. Speaker, the rules of 
this House provide the vehicle by which we carry out those discussions. 
If the rules are not honored, if the rules of this House are not there 
to maintain order, we can never get to these discussions and do so in a 
way that would make the people of our great country proud.
  The gentlelady from Michigan indicated that this is a teachable 
moment. Yes, it is. This is a time for us to teach--not just by 
precept, but by example--that which we say to our children, that which 
we say to our constituents, that there are certain things that you do 
and certain things that you don't do. And when you do those things that 
you don't do, the proper thing to do is to show proper contrition, not 
the way that you may think is proper, but the accepted form of 
contrition. And the accepted form of contrition when the rules of this 
body are violated is to come to this floor and to request the apology 
of these Members. And until that is done, Mr. Speaker, proper 
contrition has not been made.
  My father used to teach me all the time, Son, he would say, The first 
sign of a good education is good manners. I took that to heart. And I 
would hope that this body today would demonstrate to all of those 
schoolchildren who are looking in on these proceedings that we are here 
to demonstrate what is proper decorum for you to follow in your 
classrooms. We must here today support our teachers and help them 
educate our children.
  Silence gives consent. We cannot be silent in this matter, because we 
do not consent to the conduct of Mr. Wilson.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Resolution.
  Congressman Wilson's outburst was a clear violation of the House 
rules.
  How will we serve as a model of democracy--around the globe, and to 
our children here at home--if we cannot be the change we seek?
  That said--we must focus on the most important issue at hand.
  That issue is not the insulting, disrespectful and inappropriate 
remarks of a single Congressman.

[[Page 21667]]

  It is the lack of hope for 18,000 people in this nation who die each 
year for one reason: They lack health insurance.
  It is the future faced by my neighbor who chooses between paying for 
his chemotherapy or paying for his groceries.
  The debate over Congressman Wilson's disgraceful remarks does not 
help one child in Baltimore get treatment for diabetes.
  It does not help one senior citizen in Columbia, Maryland, pay for 
the prescription drugs that Medicare Part D left behind.
  This episode has not stopped working, insured Americans from lying 
awake at night, frightened beyond belief because in the blink of an 
eye, both their job and insurance could disappear.
  Our children are too precious.
  Our families are too important.
  Our nation is at too critical a crossroads for us to fall prey and be 
distracted from our goal.
  So, I rise in support of this Resolution, not because what 
Representative Wilson did was reprehensible--though it was--but because 
all 435 Members have to live by the rules of the House.
  I ask that my colleagues join me in support of this resolution and 
uphold the dignity of this great institution by voting yes.
  More importantly, I ask that as soon as we finish this matter, and we 
join together again, that we finally pass meaningful healthcare reform.
  Because nothing could be worse than one more American suffering or 
dying because they cannot afford the care they need to live.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, Representative Joe Wilson's outburst at 
the joint session of Congress last week was inappropriate. However, 
Representative Wilson has already apologized for his actions. He was 
right to apologize, and President Obama graciously accepted his 
apology. Now it's time to move on to the substance of the health care 
reform bill.
  Even President Obama has called for an end to the partisan bickering 
over the health care bill. However, with the introduction and 
consideration of this resolution, it is clear that the Democrat 
leadership has rejected this call.
  A majority of Americans oppose the Government-run healthcare plan 
that the House Democrat leadership is pushing. However, instead of 
debating the substance of the bill and addressing the concerns of the 
American people, it is clear that the majority would rather reopen old 
wounds with this resolution and divert attention back to an incident 
that is over.
  What is it that the Democrats are trying to divert attention away 
from? Is it the fact that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office 
has declared that their current health care reform proposal, H.R. 3200, 
``Does not contain any restrictions on noncitizens--whether legally or 
illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently--
participating in the [taxpayer-subsidized health insurance] exchange?'' 
Is it the fact that Republican amendments to make clear that no 
benefits would be given to illegal aliens were defeated by the 
Democrats on party-line votes?
  Regardless, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrat majority's insistence on 
demanding an apology from a man who has already apologized is a waste 
of time at best and a purposeful diversion at worst. The American 
people deserve better.
  We do not have time for these partisan tactics when we should be 
addressing the grave concerns of the American people about the merits 
of the current health care reform proposal.
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this 
Resolution of Disapproval. As members of the House of Representatives, 
it is our responsibiltiy to set an example of civility in our 
deliberations. We have a diversity of views and we do not always agree. 
But it is incumbent upon us to respect people and their office, even 
when we disagree with their views.
  Representive Wilson's outburst demonstrated a lack of civility and 
decorum. It set a poor example for those who have entrusted us with 
this office. It is worth pointing out that this type of behavior has 
been increasing in recent months throughout the country. We've seen it 
on display all summer in town halls and in the disrespectful tone 
reflected by some radio and television commentators. As members of 
Congress, we must set an example. We must set the standard for 
respectful dialogue and disagreement.
  Today's resolution is an opportunity for us to come together and 
reject incivility. Let's turn the page.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, last week, in this chamber, the House 
hosted the Members of the U.S. Senate and the President of the United 
States.
  The President used that opportunity to address Congress and the 
American people about this country's health care crisis.
  During the speech a member of this body shouted a personal insult--
rude and disrespectful words--at the President of the United States 
that violated the rules of decorum of this House and disgraced this 
institution.
  To insult the President of the United States--an invited guest in 
this House--in such a manner brings shame on this body and all its 
members.
  Disrespect, incivility, and personal attacks have no place in the 
People's House if we are to get the people's business done.
  As a matter of honor, respect, and common decency the representative 
of the people of South Carolina's 2nd District should stand in the well 
of the House and apologize to his colleagues for his words and his 
conduct.
  Since the representative from South Carolina has refused to apologize 
I urge all Members, Democrats and Republicans, to vote in favor of H. 
Res. 744 and support restoring respect and dignity to the U.S. House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. MAFFEI. Mr. Speaker, It does not promote civility to have a party 
line vote and spend an afternoon debating whether Mr. Wilson's apology 
for what he said during the President's address last week is `good 
enough.' Clearly, Mr. Wilson thoroughly embarrassed himself. And while 
I disagree with Mr. Wilson and I strongly support the President, I 
think we should be moving on and not piling on. As Voltaire wrote, `I 
disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right 
to say it.' We all agree Mr. Wilson's behavior was inappropriate, now 
it is time to get back to work.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on adopting House Resolution 744 will be followed by 5-
minute votes on motions to suspend the rules with regard to House 
Resolution 317, if ordered, H.R. 22, and H.R. 3137.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 240, 
nays 179, answered ``present'' 5, not voting 10, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 699]

                               YEAS--240

     Abercrombie
     Adler (NJ)
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Boccieri
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Bright
     Brown, Corrine
     Butterfield
     Cao
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Castor (FL)
     Chandler
     Childers
     Chu
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly (VA)
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Dahlkemper
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly (IN)
     Doyle
     Driehaus
     Edwards (MD)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emerson
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Flake
     Fudge
     Gonzalez
     Gordon (TN)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Halvorson
     Hare
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Heinrich
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Inglis
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick (MI)
     Kilroy
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick (AZ)
     Kissell
     Klein (FL)
     Kosmas
     Kratovil
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee (CA)
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Maloney
     Markey (CO)
     Markey (MA)
     Marshall
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McGovern
     McIntyre
     McMahon
     McNerney
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Minnick
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy (NY)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murtha
     Nadler (NY)
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Nye
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Perriello
     Peters
     Peterson
     Petri
     Pingree (ME)
     Polis (CO)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)

[[Page 21668]]


     Quigley
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Richardson
     Rodriguez
     Rohrabacher
     Ross
     Rothman (NJ)
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schauer
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Space
     Speier
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Towns
     Tsongas
     Van Hollen
     Visclosky
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Welch
     Wexler
     Wilson (OH)
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Yarmuth

                               NAYS--179

     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Arcuri
     Austria
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Bartlett
     Barton (TX)
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bonner
     Bono Mack
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Broun (GA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Capito
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Castle
     Chaffetz
     Coble
     Coffman (CO)
     Cole
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Deal (GA)
     Delahunt
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers
     Fallin
     Fleming
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Guthrie
     Hall (TX)
     Harper
     Hastings (WA)
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hinchey
     Hodes
     Hunter
     Issa
     Jenkins
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jordan (OH)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kline (MN)
     Kucinich
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Latta
     Lee (NY)
     Lewis (CA)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lummis
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Mack
     Maffei
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Massa
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCotter
     McDermott
     McHenry
     McKeon
     McMorris Rodgers
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (KS)
     Murphy, Tim
     Myrick
     Neugebauer
     Nunes
     Olson
     Paul
     Paulsen
     Pence
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe (TX)
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Scalise
     Schmidt
     Schock
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Stearns
     Sullivan
     Taylor
     Teague
     Terry
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Walden
     Wamp
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--5

     Engel
     Foster
     Frank (MA)
     Shea-Porter
     Skelton

                             NOT VOTING--10

     Ackerman
     Barrett (SC)
     Conaway
     Hoekstra
     Lynch
     McHugh
     Sestak
     Tanner
     Velazquez
     Waters


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes 
remaining in this vote.

                              {time}  1732

  Mr. BRADY of Texas and Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin changed their vote from 
``yea'' to ``nay.''
  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts and Ms. KOSMAS changed their vote from 
``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________