McCaul Calls House Admonishment Of Wilson ‘Punitive'

Late yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to admonish Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) over his "You lie" remark during President Barack Obama’s healthcare speech last week.

On a 240-179 vote, the House voted to support a Resolution of Disapproval against Wilson.

Following the vote, Rep. Michael McCaul, whose district includes the Katy area, said Wilson had already apologized for the outburst and called the vote "punitive."

"He already apologized. This is partisan and punitive politics," McCaul said.

McCaul, who voted against the resolution, also pointed out even the Speaker of the Democratic-controlled House had initially said no more apologies were needed.

"Even Nancy Pelosi said, ‘It’s time for us to talk about healthcare, not Joe Wilson,’ and the President has accepted it and moved on," he said.

The vote to admonish Wilson came largely along party lines. After nearly an hour of often contentious debate, the House voted to "disapprove" of Wilson’s behavior.

The resolution called the outburst "a breach of decorum [that] degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House."

Although Wilson repeatedly apologized for his outburst, including an apology to Obama, Democrats insisted he also formally apologize on the House floor.

Republicans called the demand for yet another apology nothing more than a political stunt.

Wilson insisted he owed the House no apology. Surrounded by Republican supporters, Wilson said Obama had "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over."

A Resolution of Disapproval is the weakest form of punishment for a House member.