Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King, one of the most conservative members of Congress, doesn’t know exactly where he’ll sit at the State of the Union address, but at least one thing is for certain: He won’t take any pains to sit with a Democrat.
The four-term lawmaker said Tuesday that despite calls for a symbolic gesture to sit together this year, it’ll be up to Democrats to approach him.
“If they come over and sit with me, I’m happy to do that,” King said when asked if he would sit with a Democrat during next Tuesday’s speech. “But I don’t think I can actually go over and actually pick a seat. It’s hard enough to just find a place to sit down in there. It’s just packed.”
In the wake of the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson, Arizona that severely injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others, Colorado Sen. Mark Udall called for an end to the strict seating arrangement based on party affiliation at the president’s annual address to Congress and challenged his colleagues to mix it up. Lawmakers from both parties are open to the proposal.
King’s offer does beg the question: Are there any Democrats out there who are willing to sit with him?
After all, it’s not like his name is Joe Wilson.