South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn criticized his Republican counterparts in the U.S. House over their response to the B-P oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico even going so far as to call them “BP apologists.”

In a press release last week, Congressman Jim Clyburn responded to a comment from fellow Congressman Joe Barton of Texas. During a House hearing on the Gulf oil spill, Barton apologized to BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward for what he called a government “shakedown” of his company.

Clyburn,who was not at the hearing, retaliated Friday saying Barton’s comments were proof that the Republicans were more interested in BP’s bottom line and their donors’ stock portfolios than helping Americans affected by the spill. Clyburn said Democrats were still trying to ensure the corporation pays the full cost of the cleanup.

The GOP distanced themselves from Barton’s remarks. Barton himself rescinded his apology, saying that BP was responsible for the accident. Barton had criticized BP last week for its lack of a contingency plan.