House proceedings were delayed today following remarks from Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), whose remarks directed at Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) were ruled not in order.

Taylor criticized Price directly during a debate over funds for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery, after the Georgia lawmaker attempted to restrict these funds.

“Mr. Price, I wish you would have the decency, if you are going to do that to the people of South Mississippi, that maybe you ought to come visit South Mississippi and see what has happened, before you hold them to a standard that you would never hold your own people to and that you failed to hold the Bush administration to,” Taylor said.

After his remarks were deemed to be not in order, the House voted 265-160 to restore Taylor’s right to speak. In a show of comity, Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) asked Taylor to speak. The Mississippi Democrat then apologized for breaking House rules, but not to Price.

Speaking after the incident, Price said that he went across the floor to ask for Taylor’s apology and Taylor said he would not. 

“He refused, he told me he was not going to do that,” Price said. “I think [Democrats] made a clear statement that the rules don’t apply to them.” 

Taylor confirmed he declined to apologize to Price, explaining that he did not feel that he had misspoken. He added that he was not aware the word “decency” was not to be used in that context. 

“I didn’t feel the need to apologize to him,” Taylor told The Hill, saying he had asked Price if he had been to Mississippi recently and the lawmaker had said no. “The apology was for breaking the House rules...I abided by the ruling of the chair.”