WASHINGTON -- Rep. Joe Barton has expressed remorse to his fellow Republicans for his remarks last week apologizing to BP chief executive Tony Hayward and will retain his position as the top GOP lawmaker on the Energy and Commerce Committee. House Republican leader John Boehner said the Texas lawmaker had apologized to his colleagues at a closed-door meeting Wednesday for his "poor choice of words."
Boehner said the issue is closed.
A House Republican aide confirmed that Barton would not lose his position over the remark to Hayward that embarrassed Republicans and provided ammunition to Democrats claiming that Republicans were taking a pro-industry stance in the Gulf oil spill.
Barton said he made a statement to the Republican conference and "everybody took it in the spirit that I made it."
