Steve King votes for House resolution rejecting white supremacy — and one Democrat voted against it

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) voted in support of a measure in the House of Representatives meant to abjure him for controversial comments he made about white nationalism, white supremacy and Western Civilization — and one Democrat voted against it.

The beleaguered congressman said that he read every word of the resolution and agreed to all of it, but reiterated his claim that his words were taken out of context by the New York Times.

"I look at this language that's here," King said on the floor of Congress, "this resolution that the House of Representatives once again rejects white nationalism and white supremacy and hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory of the values that define the people of the United States, I agree with that language, I've said."

"But I would add to it the language that I used on this floor at this very place," he continued, "last Friday afternoon when I said, I would strengthen it by adding my previous statements which not only correctly rejects white nationalism and white supremacy as evil ideologies, but also condemn anyone that supports this evil and bigoted ideology that saw as its ultimate expression the systematic murder of six million innocent Jewish lives."

"That's where I stand," he concluded, "that's what I believe."

King voted to support the resolution and encouraged the other members of Congress to do so.

Ironically, the one lone vote against the resolution came from a Democrat with a rationale similar to King's statement — he believed the motion wasn't strong enough.

Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois voted against the resolution because he said it didn't go far enough in rebuking King.

King has been widely criticized for the comments he made to the New York Times where he appeared to say that he didn't understand why white nationalism, white supremacy, and Western Civilization were considered bad things. He later claimed that he was misquoted, and that his statement of support only meant to apply to the last of the three on his list, Western Civilization.

"Clearly, I was only referencing Western Civilization classes," King said. "No one ever sat in a class listening to the merits of white nationalism and white supremacy."

Here's the speech from King in support of the resolution: