Stupak says Republicans are just trying to keep Americans from affordable health care. Stupak called 'baby killer' in House

A health care debate marked by episodes of ugly rhetoric took another turn for the worse late Sunday night when a voice on the Republican side of the House shouted “baby killer” at Rep. Bart Stupak.

Stupak – a leader among anti-abortion Democrats – was speaking at the time in opposition to a Republican motion to recommit that would have added the text of the so-called Stupak Amendment to the Democrats’ reconciliation bill.


Reporters in the House chamber said the “baby killer” shout seemed to come from a group of lawmakers that included Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), but he said it wasn’t him. “I don't think it’s appropriate at all," Campbell told POLITICO.

Campbell said the voice came from the floor – from someone who was behind him and to the left. "Some people know who it is but won't say,” he added.

Later, he told reporters that he thought the voice belonged to one of the Texas Republicans seated behind him. "The people who know won't give it up," he told reporters. "I'm not casting dispersions on that state."

Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton said he heard the shout but wouldn't say who was responsible.

"I can make a guess," Barton told reporters.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), who was in the chair at the time, said he saw a Republican lawmaker shout out “baby killer” – but he wouldn’t say who it was, either.

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

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who was subjected to an anti-gay epithet from a protestor Saturday, said the "baby killer" shout showed the close alignment between the GOP and some of its most extreme allies in the health care fight.

"The difference between some of the Republicans and some of their raucous followers appears to be, unfortunately, diminishing," Frank said. "Obviously, that's not the whole party, but there's a disturbing tendency to forget about civility."

Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and Tom Price said they believed the voice came from the gallery and not from a lawmaker. Price declined to say whether the comment was inappropriate.

But Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King – not known to mince words in attacking the Democrats – said he didn’t approve of the “baby killer” shout. “There are a lot of other words I would’ve used – not that,” he said.

Kasie Hunt contributed to this story.