House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has agreed to let Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King make his case for committee reassignments.
“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,” King said Monday at a campaign event in Spencer, Iowa.
McCarthy, however, is unlikely to restore King’s committee assignments until the next Congress, and would only do so with the consent of his colleagues in the House, Politico reports.
King lost his committee assignments after a January 2019 interview with the New York Times, during which he made controversial comments about white nationalism. Following the incident, King tweeted that his comments had been misrepresented and he was referring to his support for Western civilization, not white supremacy.
My Statement on Kevin McCarthy’s Unprecedented Assault on my Freedom of Speech. pic.twitter.com/0R0vP6MoWT
— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) January 15, 2019
He previously served on the House Judiciary, Agriculture, and Small Business Committees. (RELATED: Steve King Votes For House Disapproval Resolution Rebuking Him)
Despite striking a deal with McCarthy, King still faces an uphill battle as he is unlikely to find a sympathetic audience, even within his own party.
Republican Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who is also the House Republican Conference Chair, has vowed to oppose any effort to reinstate King. After King was stripped of his committee assignments over a year ago, Cheney even suggested that he should “find another line of work.”
Ohio Republican Rep. Steve Stivers, who is a member of the Steering Committee, also vowed to oppose King’s reinstatement. “As long as I am a member of the Republican Steering Committee, I will not allow hate & bigotry to influence the legislation passed by Congress,” Stivers tweeted Wednesday.
Rep. Steve King claims he will get his committees back next year. As long as I am a member of the Republican Steering Committee, I will not allow hate & bigotry to influence the legislation passed by Congress. He will not be serving on any committee. https://t.co/OLjkKrSS4L
— Steve Stivers (@stevestivers) May 13, 2020
In addition to King’s troubles in the House, he is also facing a tough primary battle for his seat in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. Despite losing his committee assignments, King is running for re-election in 2020. He faces four primary opponents, including Republican Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra. King’s political history may have an effect on his campaign as the Congressman seeks his 10th term.