House Sides With Murtha On Outburst

The House denied Republicans a chance to officially reprimand Rep. John Murtha on Tuesday, days after the powerful Pennsylvania Democrat allegedly threatened to deny future defense projects to a Michigan Republican who challenged one of his earmarks.

The House voted to table a resolution offered by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), 219-189.

The vote ends a brief episode on Capitol Hill about whether Murtha’s alleged tirade violated House rules.

Rogers offered his resolution Monday, alleging that Murtha approached him on the House floor last Thursday to yell at him for trying to strip $23 million from legislation that the Pennsylvania Democrat requested to prevent the administration from shuttering an intelligence gathering facility in his district.