GOP Rep. Steve King claims he’s poised to have committee assignments restored
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, claims he's poised to have his House of Representatives committee assignments restored after they were stripped from him more than a year ago for making comments that were widely panned as racist.
King told his constituents in Iowa Monday that he had reached a deal with Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., that would exonerate him.
STEVE KING REBUKED: HOUSE PASSES DISAPPROVAL RESOLUTION OVER WHITE SUPREMACY COMMENTS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“On April 20, Kevin McCarthy and I reached an agreement that he would advocate to the steering committee to put all of my committees back, all of my seniority," King said, according to the Sioux City Journal.
“When Congress comes back into session ... I have Kevin McCarthy’s word that that will be my time for exoneration.”
McCarthy's office rejected any notion that King would be exonerated, but said he will have an opportunity to lobby for his assignments and seniority to be restored.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Congressman King’s past comments cannot be exonerated," a McCarthy spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. "Committee assignments are determined by the steering committee and he will have the opportunity to make his case."
REP. STEVE KING REMOVED FROM COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AMID 'WHITE SUPREMACIST' CONTROVERSY
It is unclear when the GOP panel that decides committee assignments will be meeting next.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}King, who has a long history of making controversial remarks, was stripped in January 2019 of his Judiciary, Agricultural and Small Business Committees assignments following inflammatory comments on white supremacy and white nationalism.
On January 15, the House formally rebuked the Iowa lawmaker, overwhelmingly passing a resolution of disapproval for the comments he made about white supremacy.
Even King voted for the measure, though he strongly objected to GOP leaders stripping him of his committee assignments a day earlier.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The final vote was 424-1, with only Democratic Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush voting no. Rush said he wanted to censure King instead -- a stronger, but still largely symbolic, step.
King made the offensive statements during an interview with The New York Times.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” the lawmaker said in the article.
King backtracked on his comments, saying, “I reject those labels and the evil ideology they define.”
Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.