Veasey Calls on Speaker Ryan to Denounce Rep. Steve King’s Discriminatory Remarks

Washington, D.C. – Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, led a letter along with the support of Representatives Michelle Lujan Grisham, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Cedric Richmond, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus​, urging Speaker Ryan to denounce Representative Steve King's appalling comments about the increasing diversity of the United States.

On March 12, 2017, Congressman Steve King commented that "we can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies" and later followed up his comments by saying that in a few decades, he'd "like to see an America that is just so homogeneous that we look a lot the same." Following these remarks, Speaker Ryan failed to denounce King's discriminatory comments – unlike his predecessor John Boehner who was swift to rebuke similar sentiments by King.

"As members of Congress, we take an oath to do what is best for all Americans – regardless of their skin color, religious beliefs, or varied backgrounds. Diversity is our country's strength and anyone who fails to see that has no place in the halls of Congress. Speaker Ryan must act swiftly and denounce these terrible comments to ensure that the People's House remains a place welcome to all," Congressman Marc Veasey said.

A copy of the letter can be found here.