Steve King: Republican congressman who defended white supremacy stripped of committee assignments

Comments ‘beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America,’ GOP House leader says

Republican congressman Steve King has been widely denounced for his recent comments on white supremacy (Reuters)

A senior Republican congressman has been blocked by his own party from sitting on committees after his universally condemned remarks about white supremacy.

Steve King, in his ninth term representing Iowa in Washington, will not be given committee assignments for the next two years, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy said.

Mr King had served on the agriculture, small business and judiciary committees in the last Congress, also chairing the judiciary's subcommittee on the constitution and civil justice.

Mr McCarthy, who met with Mr King on Monday to discuss his GOP future, said the comments were “beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America.”

His remarks “call into question whether he will treat all Americans equally, without regard for race and ethnicity,” Mr McCarthy added.

“House Republicans are clear - We are all in this together, as fellow citizens equal before God and the law.”

Mr King, who has a history of making incendiary comments, was condemned from all sides of the House following a series of his remarks that appeared in a New York Times story last week.

“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” he asked during an interview with the newspaper. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

Following the publication of the article, Mr King issued a statement describing himself as a “nationalist”, but insisted he was not promoting white nationalism or white supremacist beliefs.

On Monday, he described Mr McCarthy’s decision to remove him from committees “a political decision that ignores the truth.”

He vowed to “continue to point out the truth and work with all the vigour that I have to represent 4th District Iowans for at least the next two years.”

Several top GOP figures have move to publicly denounce Mr King’s comments.

Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said on Monday there was “no place in the Republican Party, the Congress or the country for an ideology of racial supremacy of any kind.”

Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz told NBC’s Meet the Press what Mr King had said was “stupid”.

“I think all of us ought to be united, regardless of party, in saying, white supremacism, white nationalism, is hatred. It is bigotry. It is evil. It is wrong,” he added.

Meanwhile, House Democrats moved to formally punish Mr King, including James Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, who introduced a formal resolution of disapproval late on Monday.

Addressing what he called “a tale of two kings,” Mr Clyburn noted his resolution against the Iowa congressman’s remarks came a day before the 90th birthday of celebrated civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr.

Illinois representative, Bobby Rush, said he will introduce a censure resolution, a more serious action to reprimand Mr King, claiming it would tell the world Congress rejected “repugnant and racist behaviour.”

Additional reporting by AP