No Congress resolution for Jackson

The US House of Representatives will not pass a motion to honour late pop superstar Michael Jackson as a great humanitarian, it has emerged.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that individual members are free to give short speeches regarding Jackson but a formal vote will not take place.

Pelosi said: "A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views to - that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different.

"There's an opportunity on the floor of the House to express their sympathy or their praise any time that they wish. I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution."

The resolution had been tabled by Sheila Jackson Lee, a congresswoman who spoke at Jackson's memorial earlier this week.

However, it faced opposition from members including Peter King, who had called the singer a "pervert" and "paedophile" in a video clip recently uploaded to YouTube.