House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Speaker Paul Ryan are fighting for the moral high ground after a lawmaker from each of their respective parties made inflammatory remarks.
Pelosi, D-Calif., on Tuesday issued a public call to Ryan to strip Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, from his role as chair of the Constitution and Civil Justice Judiciary Subcommittee. Pelosi a day earlier condemned King’s tweet and follow-up television interview about immigrants, in which he argued that “You cannot rebuild your civilization with somebody else’s babies. You’ve got to keep your birth rate up, and that you need to teach your children your values.”
Ryan, R-Wis., publicly denounced King’s remarks during a Fox News interview on Monday, but has not moved to strip King from his post.
Ryan aides, however, point out that Pelosi has refused to condemn remarks made earlier this month by Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond during 73rd Annual Congressional Dinner held by the Washington Press Club Foundation.
Richmond, during what was supposed to be a humorous address, made a lewd joke about a photo of White House advisor Kellyanne Conway kneeling on an Oval Office couch.
Richmond, R-La., apologized a few days later, but Pelosi passed up a chance to publicly condemn the remarks.
When asked Tuesday how Ryan would respond to Pelosi’s request that he strip King of his committee post, Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said, “We’ll get back to you on this just as soon as Nancy Pelosi responds to the grotesque sexual comment a member of her caucus made about a senior female White House aide. The hypocrisy is striking.”
