Randy Neugebauer Responds to Bart Stupak

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Congress

On "Washington Unplugged" Tuesday, Rep. Bart Stupak called for Rep. Randy Neugebauer, who shouted "baby killer" while Stupak was speaking in the House Sunday, to apologize on the House floor.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina has also called for Neugebauer to apologize on the House floor. Neugebauer has apologized to Stupak personally.

According to the conservative blog Riehl World View, Neugebauer said on a conference call with bloggers Tuesday that he would not apologize on the floor, since "what I said was the truth."

"I will apologize when they repeal this bill," he added.

In a note posted earlier on the conservative blog RedState.com, Neugebauer wrote that "While the floor of the House was the wrong place to shout out my objection, the fact remains that this legislation will kill babies."

(Credit: AP)

Following in the footsteps of Rep. Joe Wilson, who was able to raise money off his "You Lie" outburst during a speech by President Obama, Neugebauer is reportedly trying to use his time in the spotlight to his advantage. CQ Politics reports that the Texas Republican is running ads on Google asking people to stand with him and directing them to a campaign page urging them to donate money.

He also released the response video above in which he defends his position. "I'm never going to quit speaking on behalf of the unborn," says Neugebauer, vowing to speak with the same intensity in the future, though "maybe in a little bit different forum."

Also Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said that he does not believe an apology on the floor is necessary.

He has apologized, and indicated that he undermined the decorum [of the House], and he apologized to the institution itself," Hoyer said, according to the Washington Post. "I don't think we need to carry it further."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

27 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 27 Comments


by smoknmirrors March 25, 2010 9:47 AM EDT: Randy needs a crazy glue enema and then a straitjacket.; Reply to this comment


by june092010 March 24, 2010 11:15 AM EDT: A program for Christians who yell ?baby killer?

Well, I don?t think we should fund abortions, BUT I do think we should end the angry, hateful, mob-like Christian energy sweeping our nation today. A lot of this energy has to do with abortions in general and also whether or not abortions are funded by the healthcare bill. This energy reminds me of the energy surrounding the Catholic Church during the sexual abuse scandal a few years ago.

Back then there was also a lot of anger and hate by Christians. There was a lot of cover up going on too. Christians stood by their church and they moved sexually abusive priests from church to church. Christians denied and ridiculed children who were brave enough to speak out about being sexually abused. Some of those children committed suicide. Others turned to drinking or drugs. Eventually a mandatory Protecting God?s Children program was put in place to help end the abuse, ease the angry energy, remove the denial, and create an understanding of the victim.

Today we need to create a similar program for abortions and the Christian community because civil unrest and misunderstanding grows greater by the day. Our nation, as a whole, needs to understand the effect of abuse on women ? the mental, financial, physical, social, and sexual abuse of women just like we as a nation came to understand the effects of sexual abuse on children. We need to understand that the ridicule and the denial of abuse causes women to turn to abortion the same way Christian children turned to suicide. Our nation desperately needs to create a Protecting Women Program that works something like the Protecting God?s Children program.

Just like the Catholic Church, our nation can no longer be in denial about this cause and effect. Once this denial has been removed and understanding put in place, abortions, like the suicides of Christian children, will be dramatically reduced and the energy within our nation will begin to mend.

Anything you can do to speak out about or to put such a program in place would be greatly appreciated. I feel that it will really facilitate America?s search for a middle ground.; Reply to this comment


by june092010 March 24, 2010 11:14 AM EDT: A program for Christians who yell ?baby killer?

Well, I don?t think we should fund abortions, BUT I do think we should end the angry, hateful, mob-like Christian energy sweeping our nation today. A lot of this energy has to do with abortions in general and also whether or not abortions are funded by the healthcare bill. This energy reminds me of the energy surrounding the Catholic Church during the sexual abuse scandal a few years ago.

Back then there was also a lot of anger and hate by Christians. There was a lot of cover up going on too. Christians stood by their church and they moved sexually abusive priests from church to church. Christians denied and ridiculed children who were brave enough to speak out about being sexually abused. Some of those children committed suicide. Others turned to drinking or drugs. Eventually a mandatory Protecting God?s Children program was put in place to help end the abuse, ease the angry energy, remove the denial, and create an understanding of the victim.

Today we need to create a similar program for abortions and the Christian community because civil unrest and misunderstanding grows greater by the day. Our nation, as a whole, needs to understand the effect of abuse on women ? the mental, financial, physical, social, and sexual abuse of women just like we as a nation came to understand the effects of sexual abuse on children. We need to understand that the ridicule and the denial of abuse causes women to turn to abortion the same way Christian children turned to suicide. Our nation desperately needs to create a Protecting Women Program that works something like the Protecting God?s Children program.

Just like the Catholic Church, our nation can no longer be in denial about this cause and effect. Once this denial has been removed and understanding put in place, abortions, like the suicides of Christian children, will be dramatically reduced and the energy within our nation will begin to mend.

Anything you can do to speak out about or to put such a program in place would be greatly appreciated. I feel that it will really facilitate America?s search for a middle ground.; Reply to this comment


by Zann-Zel March 24, 2010 10:04 AM EDT: Can we just vote them out of the state? Really this idiot, and Bush and Perry and Gohmert & the ridiculous Attorney General, can all just catch the next boat with their buddy Rush and the IQ level in Texas will rise immediately! : (; Reply to this comment


by Petepilot62 March 24, 2010 9:25 AM EDT: Whats with this babykiller b.s.? I, for one, do not like the whole concept of abortions but it's easy for me to say this. I am male & not ever likely to become pregnant. I do not think, though, that I have the right to tell millions of women what they may or may not do to their bodies. On a broader front, we live on a desperately overcrowded planet and we need something like the Chinese solution worldwide, no more than 1 child per couple. Bringing unwanted children into society is tantamount to species suicide.
I do not believe that a "just conceived" fetus is a vessel for a soul and if it is, that soul will be reborn fast enough anyway. None of this matters however because those who believe, do not need to have abortions, and those that are ok. with abortions can have them. This is the nature of the Constitution and the "no longer taught" but necessary separation of church & state. I feel the same way about "Evangelical Christians or Muslims" as they do about pro-choicers but I would not deny them Federal funding for heart attack intervention.
Instead of fussing about a bill that was long overdue we should be expending all this energy trying to stop wars, combat poverty, protect the environment and wildlife, and generally do good works to our neighbours.; Reply to this comment

by bertdupuy March 24, 2010 6:16 AM EDT

Come on people, why should it matter to anyone that a random woman has an abortion!
I find it odd that anyone holds claim to anothers body. If one thinks that abortion is murder think about this:

You must not have a mother, sister, daughter or other possible female relative!

I only write this because now think that some big, scary, just-out-of-jail, AIDS ridden, pervert happens to find this said loved one deliciously appetizing. They see then commuting from their regular grocery/ brunch trip on their way home from church. Now as they are packing the family groceries into the minivan this pervert wants to have his way with your loved one on the fold down back seat. WHOA, you aren't there to save your loved one in their time of need,......to bad, they are now pregnant. That must be your plan, that All woman don't want an option.

I find it funny because so many of you ANTI's live in your little world that this can not happen to your daughter, wife, mother, or another. But, please look on the sex offender site for your area, all it takes in one. Then you will be in line at next county over that offers abortions, or pretending that you really wanted this little unplanned bundle or joy in your life nine months from now.

Reply to this comment


by bertdupuy March 24, 2010 6:22 AM EDT: if you cannot comment, it is because you you do care about the females in your life!


by bertdupuy March 24, 2010 6:16 AM EDT: Come on people, why should it matter to anyone that a random woman has an abortion!
I find it odd that anyone holds claim to anothers body. If one thinks that abortion is murder think about this:

You must not have a mother, sister, daughter or other possible female relative!

I only write this because now think that some big, scary, just-out-of-jail, AIDS ridden, pervert happens to find this said loved one deliciously appetizing. They see then commuting from their regular grocery/ brunch trip on their way home from church. Now as they are packing the family groceries into the minivan this pervert wants to have his way with your loved one on the fold down back seat. WHOA, you aren't there to save your loved one in their time of need,......to bad, they are now pregnant. That must be your plan, that All woman don't want an option.

I find it funny because so many of you ANTI's live in your little world that this can not happen to your daughter, wife, mother, or another. But, please look on the sex offender site for your area, all it takes in one. Then you will be in line at next county over that offers abortions, or pretending that you really wanted this little unplanned bundle or joy in your life nine months from now.; Reply to this comment


by Owendk March 24, 2010 12:57 AM EDT: The Republicans are a sad collection of neanderthal men (and women for that matter.) The sooner they realize that there isn't any room for their hypocrisy, bigotry and racism in the present discourse, the better for them. Whosoever diggeth a pit shall fall in it - shall be buried in it.

Welcome to the 21st. Century!; Reply to this comment


by purplestallion March 23, 2010 11:05 PM EDT: First, please stop bashing Texas. Just because we have our fair share of idiots doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of progressive-minded folks.
Next, to say this bill was passed in anything other than an open, public debate is silly. This whole thing was debated for over a year in every public forum out there. Were deals made to get the necessary votes? Of course. You may not like it, but that's the way politics work. And the right is just as guilty of it, if not more so. The fact is that our President, yes, our President, bent over backwards trying to invite Republican lawmakers to participate in the process, but all they kept saying was, "start over from scratch." After a year of debate, and a workable bill, based on the Massachusetts law championed by their Republican governor, Republicans wanted to start all over. President Obama was even gracious enough not to completely throw them under the bus, but rather stated that Republican lawmakers had different core beliefs. This is bipartisanship. Republicans choosing to say no, rather than be productive, was their choice, not our President's.
I say, thank God this thing passed. After years of failing to deliver on their promises, Democrats have finally done it.

And no, this bill does not provide funding for abortions, it allows the insured person to pay their own money, money that is kept separate from the money provided by the federal government through subsidies, in order to obtain coverage for abortions, and only if they chose such a plan. They may opt not to chose a plan that covers abortions. This seems like a sensible middle ground to take, and for the life of me I can't figure out what the fuss was all about. I don't like abortion, but it is the current law of the land. If you want to pass a constitutional amendment banning abortions, go ahead and try, but don't keep 35 million people from getting insurance because you don't like what current law allows.; Reply to this comment


by joyer1 March 23, 2010 10:53 PM EDT: You all are too emotionally involved to rationally comment on this subject. Stupak sold out (because the Presidential Order has no bearing on the bnill itself)and Neugebauer made a fool of himself. What else is to be said?; Reply to this comment