WASHINGTON — Business on the House floor was halted for 45 minutes yesterday after Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., accused Democrats of "denigrating and demonizing Christians," prompting a furious protest.

The House was debating a Democratic amendment to the annual defense-appropriations bill that would have required the Air Force Academy to develop a plan for preventing "coercive and abusive religious proselytizing at the United States Air Force Academy."

Hostettler, speaking against the amendment, asserted that "the long war on Christianity in America continues today on the floor of the House of Representatives" and "continues unabated with aid and comfort to those who would eradicate any vestige of our Christian heritage being supplied by the usual suspects, the Democrats.

"Like a moth to a flame, Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians."

Wisconsin Rep. David Obey, ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, protested the statement, saying: "I move that the gentleman's words be taken down."

The incident followed other dustups between the two parties over the conduct of the war on terrorism. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., over the weekend called on Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to apologize and withdraw comments made on the Senate floor comparing U.S. soldiers' handling of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to the actions taken years ago by "Nazis and Soviets in their gulags."

Hostettler had a choice yesterday: to agree to withdraw his words, or to stick by them and face a ruling from the chair that he had violated rules against disparaging another member on the floor. Members also can ask for a vote. If a member's words are taken down, he or she is not able to speak for the rest of the day.

Hostettler eventually read a sentence written out in large block letters by a young Republican floor aide: "Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the last sentence I spoke."

The Democratic amendment was defeated later.

Hostettler was last in the news in April 2004 when airport security officers found a registered semiautomatic handgun on him. He said he had forgotten about the gun and received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor.