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Heckler’s Behavior May Bring Action in House

WASHINGTON — House Democrats intend to pursue a formal resolution admonishing Representative Joe Wilson for his outburst against President Obama during the president’s speech to Congress on Wednesday night unless he apologizes on the floor.

Senior aides said Friday that the leadership had decided that the behavior of Mr. Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, in shouting “You lie!” merited some response by the House even though he had issued an apology and expressed his regrets to the president through Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff.

“It is a clear violation of the rules of the House, and it needs to be resolved on the floor of the House either by an apology or by a resolution,” said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

House rules and precedents provide substantial guidance on how a House member can and cannot refer to the president while speaking on the floor, and the guidelines state that it has been found impermissible to call the president a liar. The House was in formal session at the time of the speech.

Since Mr. Wilson interrupted the president to challenge him on health care for illegal immigrants, he has become a focal point in the health care debate. He has drawn condemnation from many, but emerged as a hero to conservative opponents of proposed changes.

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Joe Wilson, second from right, was tailed by reporters as he made his way to the House on Thursday, the day after his outburst.Credit...Harry Hamburg/Associated Press

While Ms. Pelosi indicated on Thursday that she was ready to let the matter drop, other Democratic leaders, including Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, the party whip, argued that the episode was too egregious to let pass.

Aides said Mr. Wilson was aware of the Democrats’ intentions and would decide over the weekend what to do. He was encouraged on Thursday by Mr. Clyburn, among others, to apologize to his House colleagues, but he resisted doing so, according to lawmakers and other aides.

In a video posted on his campaign Web site Thursday night, Mr. Wilson acknowledged that heckling the president was wrong but said his retort had grown out of months of emotional conversations with his constituents about health care.

He added that he did not intend to be “muzzled” on the topic. “I will speak up and speak loudly against this risky plan,” he said in the video, referring to Democratic proposals.

He also asked for campaign contributions, saying he was now the political target of proponents of the Democratic health care overhaul. “They want to silence anyone who speaks out against this,” he said.

Both Mr. Wilson and his potential 2010 opponent, Rob Miller, have raised substantial amounts of campaign money since the speech — Mr. Miller has taken in more than $1 million, and Mr. Wilson more than $700,000 — as contributors on both sides of the dispute register their sentiment.

Republican lawmakers also counseled Mr. Wilson to apologize on the floor Thursday to bring the episode to a conclusion. One aide to the House Republican leadership said the party had not been informed what any resolution might say, but noted that Mr. Wilson had already offered an apology and that the president had accepted it.

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