A Democratic congressman on Monday announced he will introduce a resolution to formally censure embattled Rep. Steve King for the Iowa Republican’s history of racist and xenophobic statements.
“Steve King’s pattern of comments harken back to the dark days of American history where his rabid, racist remarks would have been acceptable to a significant portion of our nation. This must come to a screeching halt right now,” Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., wrote in a statement. “The U.S. Congress cannot be a platform for Steve King and those of his ilk. From Charleston to Charlottesville to Chicago to California, there is no home for this behavior, especially the floor of the United States House of Representatives.”
Today, I announced I will be introducing a resolution to formally censure Rep. Steve King for his pattern of racist and xenophobic statements: https://t.co/gAoiwMzPUr #CensureKing pic.twitter.com/2bhWzuQm8N
— Bobby L. Rush (@RepBobbyRush) January 14, 2019
Rush, whose proposal lays out 12 years of quotes from King, later tweeted that anything short of an official congressional censure “would be shallow.”
My resolution to censure Representative King sends a clear message to the American people — this Congress will not turn a blind eye to his repugnant and racist behavior. Anything short of censure would be shallow. #CensureKing
— Bobby L. Rush (@RepBobbyRush) January 14, 2019
Rush’s move comes as King, a nine-term congressman, faces mounting pressure over an interview he gave the New York Times last week. In the interview, King questioned how language surrounding white supremacy, white nationalism, and Western civilization became so “offensive.”
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” he asked. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
King later criticized the newspaper for suggesting he was advocate for an “evil and bigoted ideology.”
King’s statements were quickly condemned by prominent GOP figures, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The California Republican told CBS News on Sunday he was meeting with King Monday to “take action” over his latest comments.
“That language has no place in America. That is not the America I know and it’s most definitely not the party of Lincoln,” McCarthy said, suggesting King would be stripped of his committee assignments. “I am having a serious conversation with Congressman Steve King on his future and role in this Republican Party.”
King has a history of offensive behavior. Shortly before his narrow 2018 re-election win, he refused to delete a retweeted Twitter post about “Satan” George Soros, which critics claimed was anti-Semitic, especially after last year’s fatal shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. He already has a challenger for his 2020 Republican primary and GOP Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told a local outlet last week she wouldn’t endorse him next cycle.
Rush’s resolution is not the only legislative response from House Democrats. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, introduced a similar measure on Monday.
“It’s far past time that Congress holds him accountable. We need to send a strong message to our colleagues and the American people that this type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Ryan said in a statement.
