Remove Rep. Steve King from his seat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Border Security now. His hateful characterization of immigrants as criminal drug smugglers and his continued extremism don’t reflect the views of a majority of Americans — nor his constituents in Iowa. It’s time to show your commitment to real immigration reform by removing him from his position.
Why is this important?
Wildly irresponsible and hateful comments are nothing new for Rep. Steve King of Iowa’s 4th District, who has repeatedly pushed legislation against the children he calls “anchor babies.” But recently, he may have hit a new low.
In an interview with Newsmax, King slandered young immigrants who would be eligible for citizenship under the DREAM Act stating that “For everyone who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”
Even House Speaker John Boehner responded by suggesting King’s comments were out of bounds, stating “There can be honest disagreements about policy without using hateful language. Everyone needs to remember that.” And Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., suggested on Tuesday that “we as a nation should allow this group of young people to stay in the U.S. legally.”
Yet King has shown no remorse and refused to back down. In an interview with Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson on July 24th, King said, “It’s not something that I’m making up. This is real,” and responded to critics by saying “it’s enough for anybody to be offended these days. They apparently don’t have to use their brain.”
It’s time for House leadership to take stronger action against King and distance themselves from his hateful rhetoric.
As a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Border Security, King’s disgusting comments on immigrants have been highlighted by the media. And despite the fact that his views are completely outside the views of mainstream Iowans, he’s been given a national soapbox to distort our views. The fact that House leadership have allowed King to keep his position send the message that they’re not actually interested in real immigration reform.
But if Iowans and others from across the country stand-up and demand that House leadership throw King out of his seat on a major immigration subcommittee, we can hold him, and house leadership, accountable. GOP leaders know that showing leadership on immigration reform is extremely important to the future of their party. We can demand they do more than just give lip service to DREAMers and voters by kicking King off his immigration subcommittee seat now.
Sign this petition and demand house leaders show their commitment to real immigration reform by telling extremist Tea Party congressman Steve King that his hate speech has no place on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security now.
REFERENCES:
- John Boehner’s Steve King Problem (esquire.com)
- GOP Congressman Undermines Party’s Immigration Efforts (NYT-The Caucus Blog)
- Steve King Says He Has Personally Caught Undocumented Drug Mules With Cantaloupe Calves (ThinkProgress with Audio)
- House Republicans take Steve King’s side on immigration policy even as they condemn his remarks (dailykos.com)
- GOP leaders denounce Rep. Steve King for calling most illegal immigrants ‘drug mules’ (americanbulwark.com)
- Steve King comments on immigration called ‘beneath the dignity’ of the House (washingtonpost.com)
- Opinion: Steve King cannot be dismissed as ‘extremist,’ House approved his measure (nbclatino.com)
- Steve King isn’t an outlier in the GOP. Here’s why (tv.msnbc.com)
- Steve King still thinks it’s a good idea to call immigrant youths ‘drug mules’ (tv.msnbc.com)
- Steve King on how he knows DREAMers are drug mules: ‘You can tell by their physical characteristics’ (dailykos.com)
- Steve King Doubles Down on Immigration (thedailybanter.com)
- Congressman King Defends Drug Mule Comments About Dreamers (okhenderson.com)
- Steve King’s Twisted Immigration Math (washingtonpost.com)
- Steve King’s Drug Remarks (politico.com)