Raleigh, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina congresswoman says she made a poor choice of words when she called the infamous murder of a gay Wyoming student a "hoax" to justify passing hate crimes bills.
 
In a House debate, Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx said the 1998 death of Matthew Shepard wasn't a hate crime and shouldn't be used to justify a hate crimes bill. Foxx said Shepard was killed during a robbery.
 
The bill approved Wednesday by the House would include acts motivated by sexual orientation under a federal hate crimes law.
 
Foxx later said her comments didn't convey what she meant to say.
 
She said "hoax" was "a poor choice of words," and said Shepard's killers deserved their punishment. The two men convicted in Shepard's death are serving life terms for murder.