16 January 2019•Update: 16 January 2019
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to condemn white nationalism and white supremacy after Rep. Steve King Tuesday defended the overtly racist movements.
The 424-1 vote comes after an interview with the New York Times in which King asked, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization – how did that language become offensive?”
The resolution voted on Tuesday is likely to precede a formal resolution of censure for the Iowa Republican who has a long track record of overtly racist statements.
He tweeted June 12 "Europe is waking up... Will America... in time?", with a link to an anti-immigration story posted by a Nazi sympathizer who questions the Holocaust. He has refused to delete the post after it prompted public furor.
He also tweeted March 12, 2017: "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies" in a post that emphasized "culture and demographics are our destiny" -- rhetoric that mirrors the ideals of white nationalism and supremacy.
King was stripped of all committee posts late Monday over his most recent comments to the Times. He insists the decision was purely political, and claims his comments during the interview were "mischaracterized."
Rep. Bobby Rush, the sole lawmaker to vote against Tuesday's resolution, said he opposed the measure because it "just restates the obvious."
"It does not address his violent, vitriolic and rabid racism. We need to be clear to Americans that we use condemnation to express our disapproval of those not in the House. We use censure for those in the House. #CensureSteveKing," he wrote.
At least two censure resolutions, including one introduced by Rush, are under consideration in the House.
