Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) said Tuesday he will not apologize to the House of Representatives for yelling out "it's a baby killer" on the House floor Sunday night during remarks by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) just before the House finished its action on the health-care bill.
In a telephone conference call with bloggres on Tuesday afternoon, Neugebauer rejected a demand by Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the House Democratic whip, that he apologize to the full House.
"For what?" Neugebauer asked. "I was out just speaking the truth, and my constituents know that I was out speaking the truth and people all across the country know that I was speaking the truth because their outpouring has been overwhelming."
He added: "I won't apologize for doing the right thing. Not gonna do it. I will apologize when they repeal this bill."
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The West Texas Republican pro-life congressman told CNSNews.com he wasn't calling Stupak a name Sunday night but was referring to the bill itself.
"You know what I said (was) -- 'It's a baby killer' -- and I was talking about this bill," Neugebauer said. "When you look at the Senate bill it definitely does not offer the protections for the unborn that the House bill does."
Neugebauer specifically confirmed for CNSNews.com that his comment was not directed at Stupak—who, in a stunning reversal, decided to support the bill after months of opposition to it because the bill allows taxpayer funding for abortion. Stupak had successfully secured an amendment to the original House bill that barred taxpayer money from going to abortion.
"In fact, what we were considering at that particular time was our motion to recommit, which actually had the Stupak language in it, which was in the House version," Neugebauer said. "But my remarks, as I said to Bart, were not aimed at him, but just at the whole process."
He added: "We had been playing 'Let's Make a Deal' to get this bill passed. We had the Cornhusker Kickback, we had the Louisiana Purchase, we had the Florida Gator Aid –and now the final thing to push the bill across the floor, we' were going to use the rights of the unborn as a bargaining chip. I just found that outrageous. I can't even understand how we would get to that level of our government that we would have to do something as egregious as that."
Neugebauer, meanwhile, said he will not back down--even if the House takes some sort of action to censure him.
"If I don't apologize, they may bring some kind of an action against me on the floor, but you know what, they'll just have to do that because I am not backing down because what I did was speak the truth and I'll tell you, it's not going to stop the left from attacking me, but let me tell you, Americans all across the country are speaking out in favor of what I said, and they are so appreciative that a member of Congress actually stood up and said, and 'called a spade, a spade.' That's a quote from an e-mail I just got awhile ago."
Neugebauer said he is stunned by the outpouring of support he has received since Sunday evening.
Contact: Pete Winn
Source: CNSNews.com
Publish Date: March 23, 2010
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