The Gulf Coast lawmaker, incensed that Barton apologized to BP oil company at Thursday’s high-profile hearing, released a statement on Friday saying that Barton’s comments “sadly fall short of an appropriate response.”

In that statement Bonner, the ranking member of the House ethics panel, revealed that he talked to Barton on Friday morning.

“As I told him, I believe the damage of his comments are beyond repair and, as such, I am today calling on Joe to do the right thing for our conference and immediately step aside as Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee,” Bonner said in the statement.