President Barack Obama said Thursday that he accepts the apology of Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who yelled, “You lie!— during Obama’s address Wednesday night to Congress.

“I’m a big believer that we all make mistakes,— Obama told reporters after meeting with his Cabinet at the White House.

“He apologized quickly and without equivocation, and I’m appreciative of that,— Obama said. “I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people, without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst in other people’s motives.—

Wilson’s interjection came as Obama said his health care initiative would not insure illegal immigrants. Wilson has apologized but is resisting demands that he do so on the House floor.

Obama said much of Thursday’s Cabinet meeting focused on health care. He promised to make a “full court press— on health care during the next month.

“The time is right, and we are going to move aggressively to get this done, and every member of this Cabinet is invested,— he said.