SC Congressman Wilson Gets House Formal Disapproval In Response To You Lie Outburst

To which has the House of Representatives befallen?

• Esteemed conduct.
• Political correctness. 
• War of the words.  
• Don’t hurt your colleagues’ or president’s feelings in prime time.
• Let’s get even.

“Donkey whinny.”
Image courtesy of http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/rep-joe-wilson-shouted-you-lie-and-others-heckled-as-obama-claimed-his-plan-wouldnt-offer-free/question-615939/.

Lawmaker’s ‘You lie’ outburst draws House rebuke at Yahoo alerts us to Representative Joe Wilson’s (R-SC) formal resolution of disapproval for shouting out “You lie!” during the presidential address to the Joint Session of Congress last week.  It was not enough to apologize and get acceptance from President Barack Obama.  Votes 240-179.  For, Democrats 233, Republicans 7.  Against, Republicans 167,  Democrats 12.  “Present” was used to worm their way out of the count and accountability by 5 Democrats.   In support of the resolution were those that focused on “conduct.”  Those against cited “witch hunt.”  Not surprising.  So what exactly are the rules of engagement, er, deportment?

Decorum in the House and in Committees gives the low down.

As a guide for debate, it is permissible in debate to challenge the President on matters of policy. The difference is one between political criticism and personally offensive criticism. For example, a Member may assert in debate that an incumbent President is not worthy of re-election, but in doing so should not allude to personal misconduct. By extension, a Member may assert in debate that the House should conduct an inquiry, or that a President should not remain in office.

Then the do’s and don’ts.

Under section 370 of the House Rules and Manual it has been held that a Member could:

• refer to the government as “something hated, something oppressive.”
• refer to the President as “using legislative or judicial pork.”
• refer to a Presidential message as a “disgrace to the country.”
• refer to unnamed officials as “our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs.”

Likewise, it has been held that a member could not:

• call the President a “liar.”
• call the President a “hypocrite.”
• describe the President’s veto of a bill as “cowardly.”
• charge that the President has been “intellectually dishonest.”
• refer to the President as “giving aid and comfort to the enemy.”
• refer to alleged “sexual misconduct on the President’s part.”

House of Representatives, take notice of the things you can say or do for the next encounter of the presidential kind.

As for the Senators, they have different rules that give them more leeway in carrying on.

However, the Senate rules on decorum and debate do not prohibit personal references to the President. Senate Rule XIX governing decorum and debate is applied only to fellow Senators and “does not extend to the President, the Vice President, or Administration officials and a Senator cannot be called to order under rule XIX for comments or remarks about them…” (Senate Procedure, p. 741).  The Senate rules also provide that Jefferson’s Manual is not part of the Senate rules (Ibid, p.754).

The House muzzles its own tighter.

By contrast, the rules of the House specifically provide that Jefferson’s Manual does govern the proceedings of the House where applicable (Clause 1 of Rule XXVIII). Section 370 of Jefferson’s Manualstates that the rule in Parliament prohibiting Members from “speak{ing} irreverently or seditiously against the King” has been interpreted to prohibit personal references against the President. In addition, Speakers of the House have consistently reiterated, and the House has voted, to support the proposition that it is not in order in debate to engage in personalities toward the President. The Chair enforces this rule of decorum on his own initiative.

The part about “speak{ing} irreverently or seditiously against the King” as being “interpreted to prohibit personal references against the President” is kind of interesting, considering the United States has no monarchy, and was borne of getting away from one to begin at the outset. 

Heretofore, can we expect anymore spontaneous outbursts worthy of public discussion anytime soon?  Or will the Houses of Congress remain constrained by those onerous rules that clamp down on extemporaneous and truthful speech? 

So where are the rules about decorum of the president?

“Obama.  Liar.”
Image courtesy of http://chicksontheright.com/2009/09/01/speaking-of-lying/comment-page-1/.

See:

• http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090915/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_heckling
• http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/house_comm_dec.htm

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