'Baby Killer' Yelled At Bart Stupak During Health Care Debate (VIDEO)

A Republican member of Congress apparently called Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) a "baby killer" near the end of the day-long House debate on health care Sunday night.

House Republicans, in an effort to derail the bill, introduced a "motion to recommit" that would have reintroduced the abortion amendment cosponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.).

In a dramatic gesture, the pro-life Stupak rose to speak against the amendment saying that it was nothing more than an effort to deprive 32 million Americans of health insurance. Democrats rose to applaud the much-maligned Stupak.

"It's your bill!" shouted several chastened members from the GOP side, as the chamber descended into chaos. Once order was restored, a GOP member then shouted at Stupak: "Baby killer!"

More chaos. "Who said that?!" demanded a Democrat.

The shouter was not identified, but one reporter in the gallery thought it was Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.). It was not, he told reporters in the Speaker's lobby as the vote on the amendment, which eventually failed by a vote of 199-232, was still going on.

"It was on the floor, but it wasn't very far behind me," Campbell told reporters. "But it was definitely on the floor, but it wasn't me. I don't think it's appropriate at all."

Campbell told reporters that it sounded as if it was said with a Southern accent.

Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.), who was presiding over the floor when the anonymous Republican member made the outburst, told reporters he knows who the offending lawmaker is but won't name names.

"Members have a right to make an idiot of themselves once without being exposed," he said.

Watch video of the incident:

Sam Stein contributed reporting to this post.

Comments

[DemTlp]

02:28 PM on 03/23/2010

This stunt has already caught the attention of pro-life organizations, and they're flooding Randy Neugebauer’s campaign with donations. He has apologized, but an apology is not enough! It's not enough to say you regret your behavior while you reap it's reward.

This impulsive attention grabbing stunt isn't just harmless rhetoric. It's uncivil. It's hateful. It's worse than Joe Wilson.

Democrat Andrew Wilson is running against Randy Neugebauer. Demand better from Congress and and make a donation today to Andrew Wilson's campaign at http://www.istandwithandy.com/get-involved/donate-now.

Together we can end these kinds of political stunts!

[coultersnemesis]

01:41 PM on 03/23/2010

repubs = women haters

[Chris in MI]

08:59 AM on 03/23/2010

Mr. Stupak is not a baby killer. The person yelled "It's a baby killer". see CNN, or another reputable news agency.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/stupak.shout/index.html
Huffington Post did not check its facts, and has not made a correction yet. Even though the large news organizations have updated the story. This bill is the largest expansion of abortion rights in the nations history. There may be 50,000 people who die each year from lack of health care in the US. But there are more than 3700 babies that die every day from lack of protection from abortion.

The bill is a baby killer. The bill will cost human lives.

And Rep. Stupak could've helped stop that, we could have health insurance reform without an expansion of abortion rights. But that is not what the progressiveCaucus wants, they want an expansion of abortion rights.
Congratulations. You've got it.

[MDCA]

10:04 AM on 03/23/2010

Here we go again. Another Christian mullah deciding how people should live their lives. This is not the year 1510...It is 2010. What right do you think you have to tell women what to do. Abortion Rights is the law of the Land. You don't like it, move to the Vatican.

[coultersnemesis]

01:42 PM on 03/23/2010

please move to the midle east where religion still dictates and runs government and society. here in the USA we are secular and your religious beliefs WILL NOT hold women back. SORRY.

[rgilley]

07:40 AM on 03/23/2010

We now know hwere that "southern accent" came from.....and who is surprized to find it comes from Texas? Of course it was taken out of context and media just played it up.
Despicable people!

[been2there]

12:43 AM on 03/23/2010

The sad thing is that Stupak really is a baby killer. Better health care, especially contraceptive access, reduces abortion demand, so by opposing health care legislation, Stupak and company voted to increase the number of babies aborted.

[LittleMittens]

11:08 PM on 03/22/2010

When a person has judgement on another - and feels they don't deserve something based on income level, ethnic background, where they live, who they love, or how they worship, that's called prejudice. And this entire healthcare debate has shown how many closeted bigots are put there.

[GaryCharles]

10:36 PM on 03/22/2010

Please HELP Neugebauer's DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT in the 19th District, Andy Wilson.

Below is a link to Andy's response to this outburst.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs073/1102848092522/archive/1103222313485.html

I STAND WITH ANDY

http://www.istandwithandy.com/

[ReedYoung]

10:00 PM on 03/22/2010

That's the same John Campbell who is a birther, but claims that the birth certificate bill he proposed wasn't intended to undermine President Obama, just to avoid future controversies. So if you want to believe him when he says that he isn't the congress critter who yelled "baby killer" that's your prerogative, but it would also be a decision, like a leap of faith, not like believing something because you have any evidence of it.

[Eric Penner]

05:03 PM on 03/23/2010

I'm ashamed to say that John Campbell is my congressman. I've written to him numerous times and every single time I've gotten a response filled with Fox News talking points. I suppose that's what I get for living in über-conservative south Orange County, though.

[ReedYoung]

12:54 AM on 03/28/2010

It sounds like your community needs an organizer, not letters to your brainless U.S. House Rep. John Campbell.

[MauricioC]

06:35 PM on 03/22/2010

Neugebauer from Texas calls Stupak a baby killer?

Texas executes about 30 people a month. He's pro-death penalty but anti-abortion? I guess its all in the timing....

[AnotherAngle]

09:00 PM on 03/22/2010

Are you people really so narrow minded that you don't see the difference between a rapist/murderer and an unborn child??

You are going to equate the life of an innocent unborn baby to someone that heinously murders another innocent human being? Really?

[skippypicasso]

09:17 PM on 03/22/2010

Actually, the brutality is in the state-sponsored public retribution. The other is none of my business and is between a woman and her medical providers and her God should she choose to believe.

[JWoodz]

10:08 PM on 03/22/2010

AnotherAngle, can you tell us whose life does God love more? Which life does God hold more valuable: an innocent unborn baby or a heinous murderer? Please answer carefully and provide biblical support for your position.

[norgotoad]

05:27 PM on 03/22/2010

Rep. Neugebauer: the south will rise again complete with the Tea Klux Klan. Wonder if teabags were used to dye shirts brown in Germany in 1930s and 40s.

[thesushi]

04:17 PM on 03/22/2010

Nugebauer doesn't sound like C-SPAN's recording at all.... I smell bad Armadillo...Oh well.

[sissyreed]

03:34 PM on 03/22/2010

If the original language in the bill did not say that tax dollars would be used to pay for abortions, then why the need for the executive order Obama ended up issuing, when he desperately needed Stupak and some of his crew's vote? Democrats kept insisting that the bill does not say that public funds will be used for abortions, but when I read the bill, it sounded pretty damn clear to me - it would.

[colorperdaughter]

03:36 PM on 03/22/2010

It doesn't. I wish they would pay for abortions, provide them in the community clinics being set up. The last thing we need is more unwanted children bred by irresponsible people, simply because some religious zealots think they have the answer.

[AnotherAngle]

09:17 PM on 03/22/2010

I wanted to say something really honest but I couldn't let myself go that low.

The good thing is, a democrat finally admits abortion is what it really is. A bunch of irresponsible people getting rid of their mistakes.

[AnotherAngle]

09:09 PM on 03/22/2010

Sissy ... look at it from a dem's point of view. What they are saying is this. Obama wrote an executive order just for the he** of it to guarantee Stupak of something that doesn't really exist at all in the bill. Stupak only graduated with a juris doctorate, magna cum laude and he says funding for abortion is IN the bill.

The folks here at Huff Post are so much smarter than Obama and Stupak and they say abortion funding isn't in there. I would really rely on the opinion of someone named colorperdaughter on a blog site than Obama and Stupak.

[been2there]

10:46 PM on 03/23/2010

Lots of people with advanced degrees, including me, say the funding was not different from that of the Hyde amendment, which is also immoral and unconstitutional. The executive order did nothing but let Stupak grandstand so he would vote for the better health of this nation. Stupak is a real horse's----

[ilse]

03:32 PM on 03/22/2010

Below is a comment I found at the tea party patriots fan facebook. Looked threatening so I sent it to FBI. Please note, I added ss and ll to two words so it wouldn't go to pending comments.


David Schrimmel Pope John Paul,John Kennedy,Robert Kennedy,George Wallace,Ronald Reagan,Abe Lincoln were not bad or dangerous but were all shot by assassinsss,now we have Obama,Pelosi,Reid,Schumer,Andy Stern,Lindsey Graham and George Soros just to name a few. We're ALLOWING some of the most evilll and dangerous people of our lifetime ruin OUR America. Talk is cheap.
3 hours ago · Comment · Like · Report

[colorperdaughter]

03:57 PM on 03/22/2010

good for you, it is a good idea for people to be monitoring those types of sites

[Eleanor Owen]

03:32 PM on 03/22/2010

Senator Stupak, you stayed a bove the fray. I congratulate you for your integrity and for what you have
done. I respect you and hope for your re-election. Thank you!!!

[skippypicasso]

05:05 PM on 03/22/2010

As I live in his district, I will do everything in my power to see him voted out of office. He held health care reform hostage to his parochial issues that have nothing to do with the main issue.

[colorperdaughter]

05:11 PM on 03/22/2010

Good job, I hope you guys get rid of him, he is the new lieberman judas

[larrykat]

05:50 PM on 03/22/2010

Absolutely - get him out. This just smells like grandstanding to me. He wanted it to be all about him.

[italia1492]

05:42 PM on 03/22/2010

Senator Stupak was bought and paid for by Obama, even my 14 year old son knows that an executive order cannot override the healthcare bill that was passed into law last night. My belief is that it was done for give warm and fuzzes to those who don't know better It is ashame that so few people really know and understand our political system. Reading postings here makes that quite evident. I like the one stating republicans are uneducated hillbillies. I don't know what his credentials are but I hold three college degrees, make 6 figure income and teach part time at the university level. I don't think the shouting of comments at Stupak were appropriate, but then all the other noise and comments of the night were not what I would call appropriate either on both sides. The only real truth last night came from one who I thought was not capable of truth, Al Sharpton. His comments were to the effect, those who voted for Obama knew they were voting for socialism. Let's divide up everything, distribute it to those less fortunate and see another failed country. Look at Greece right now.

[Cuttygirl]

09:26 PM on 03/22/2010

Senator Stupak?????? Wow, those 3 college degrees really keep you in the know, don't they? It's Representative Stupak, stupid. And you are teaching at the university level???? Somehow, you are like the rest of the Reps. I don't believe a word you say. You have no credibility, just like your party. Be careful of your party. They are drifting towards dangerous territory.

[IllinoisTexan43]

03:29 PM on 03/22/2010

Let's take a wild guess; Neugebauer, like Stupak are 'C-Streeters'.

These 'pious', 'Christian' men who lived(in Stupak's case) in that den of iniquity for years.

The same place where corruption, bribery and adultery are commonplace and are even given a cover for their actions.

Their concern for the unborn, as always, ring hollow in my ear.