House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week rejected the idea of censuring Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) over comments he made regarding white supremacy.
“I think the action we have taken is stronger and I think at this point we should move on,” he said Tuesday on “The Ralph Bailey Show.”
{mosads}King ignited a bipartisan firestorm when he asked during a New York Times interview last week, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”
House Republicans responded to King’s remarks by removing him from assignments on the House Agriculture, Judiciary and Small Business committees.
Democratic Reps. Tim Ryan (Ohio) and Bobby Rush (Ill.) both introduced resolutions to censure him for the remarks.
The House ended up passing a resolution condemning white nationalism and white supremacy by a 424-1 vote on Tuesday. Rush, the lone dissenter, said the measure was not specific enough in its condemnation of King.
McCarthy, who oversaw the removal of King from his committee posts, told reporters on Tuesday, “There is no room for white supremacy.”
“This wasn’t the first time that he used this language,” McCarthy said on the radio show. “When he used this I came out directly and denounced it and was frustrated. But I knew that I watched past leaders [who] did not act and I just felt I don’t care if it hurts me or not, I just gotta do the right thing. But when I looked back at the things he had said recently, it doesn’t reflect us, and it can’t reflect us.”
The Iowa Republican, a staunch opponent of illegal immigration, has a history of making controversial remarks. He has argued that his comments during last week’s interview were taken out of context.
King panned McCarthy on Tuesday, saying the minority leader has “decided he’s going to believe The New York Times over Steve King, and that’s a fact.”
Though leaders in both parties and chambers of Congress have called on King to resign, the nine-term congressman indicated he has no intention of doing so.
“I will continue to point out the truth and work with all the vigor that I have to represent 4th District Iowans for at least the next two years,” King said Monday.