Steve King primary challenger says lawmaker's removal from House committees supports his cause

By Justin Wise - 01/14/19 09:04 PM EST
 
Steve King primary challenger says lawmaker's removal from House committees supports his cause
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Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra (R), who announced earlier this month that he would challenge Rep. Steve KingSteven (Steve) Arnold KingOcasio-Cortez rips Steve King after he shares video drinking from toilet-fountain hybrid at border Steve King says he drank from toilet at detention center Steve King jokes about China forcing Muslims to eat pork MORE (R-Iowa) in 2020, on Monday called for voters to join his cause after GOP leaders stripped King of his committee assignments. 

"One week ago, I announced my candidacy for Congress because our district desperately needs an effective conservative leader to represent our communities in Congress," Feenstra said on Twitter shortly after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyTrump touts Washington Post story on GOP support Pence extends olive branch to Cummings after Trump's Baltimore attacks Marijuana industry donations to lawmakers surge in 2019: analysis MORE (R-Calif.) announced the decision. 
 
"Sadly, today, the voters and conservative values of our district have lost their seat at the table because of Congressman King's caustic behavior," Feenstra said, imploring voters of Iowa's 4th Congressional District to join his "cause to send an effective conservative leader to Congress."
The comments from Feenstra come amid the fallout after King questioned why terms like "white supremacist" and "white nationalist" were considered offensive. 
 
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“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King, who has served in Congress since 2003, said in an interview published by The New York Times last week. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
 
The comments prompted outrage from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. On Monday night, McCarthy told reporters after a meeting of the Republican Steering Committee that King would not receive any committee assignments for the new Congress.
 
King responded by calling it a "political decision that ignores the truth."
 
Feenstra said in his Jan. 9 announcement that he's running for Congress that King's "caustic nature has left us without a seat at the table."
 
“We don’t need any more sideshows or distractions, we need to start winning for Iowa’s families," he said, adding that he would be creating a formal campaign committee. 
 
King has represented Iowa's 4th Congressional District since 2013. He beat his Democratic challenger by 3 percentage points during November's midterm elections. 

But his path to reelection in 2020 may include more obstacles. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said last week that she would not endorse King, adding that his last election was a "wake-up call for it to be that close."

Tags Kevin McCarthy Steve King Steve King remarks GOP primary challenge