Washington(CNN) Rep. Mark Walker, the chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee, described female members of the group as the committee's "eye candy" during a press conference Tuesday morning.
"The accomplished men and women of the RSC. And women. If it wasn't sexist, I would say the RSC eye candy, but we'll leave that out of the record," Walker said during his remarks.
Speaking outside the Capitol, Walker made the remark early on during his "3 Promises, 3 Months" speech with his fellow committee members behind him. The comment came during remarks about the group's goals over the next several months in Congress and how they would achieve them.
"During a press event today, I made a flippant remark meant to be light-hearted but fell short. I'm proud of the women who serve in our RSC leadership," Walker told CNN in a statement.
Walker, a pastor from North Carolina, is a second-term congressman who is serving his first term as chairman of the committee, which has nearly 160 conservative members -- only 16 of whom are women.
The Republican Study Committee has served as the conservative caucus of House Republicans since its founding in 1973. According to the group's website, the committee exists to limit government, preserve traditional values and balance the budget.