Listen for more on Congressman King’s thoughts on impeachment and other issues this week on “The Exchange” with host Mary Hartnett.
At a town hall at the Ho-Chunk Centre in Sioux City on Saturday, Congressman Steve King addressed several issues; including trade, his goals for Congress and the most pressing issue out of Washington, D.C., impeachment.
King says the impeachment of President Trump started the day he was elected president.
King says he read the transcript of the conversation between President Trump and the President of Ukraine and found nothing wrong.
“And how many of them said we can’t beat him in the ballot box so we have to do this? And, Adam Schiff has said this on the floor of U.S. Senate in these days of a grueling marathon.”
King also says he faced the same persecution as the president after Republican leaders striped his committee assignments after comments about white nationalism and supremacy appeared in the Wall Street Journal. King says the story wasn’t accurate.
“There have only been four members of Congress removed from all of their committees. Three are three convicted felons and I’m the other one. And, they can’t even point to a rule that they think I circumvented or even violated. That is how egregious this is."
“There’s not a single person anywhere that ever stood up and said they received from me any kind of disparaging, disrespectable or racist behavior. I haven’t had a single accuser. Brett Kavanaugh had six or seven that never stood up but, I have none.”
King didn’t say if he will be put back on committees, but said Republicans do have a hard time finding a political voice with Democrats in charge of the U.S. House.
When it comes to trade, King says the President kept his word on trade with new developments creating a better economic environment for everyone.
“We ended up with a better USMCA agreement than is better in every category than when he started.”
King says agriculture will also benefit with the first phase of the trade agreement with China.
King also touted soybean sales increasing by 37% to Taiwan. He also predicts the United Kingdom will start doing more business with the United States after leaving the European Union.
King also says even if he doesn’t win reelection to a tenth term in Congress he will fight to return land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
He wants to follow through on the issue also important to Native American activist Frank LaMere.
“It’s my commitment to finish the deal and help complete Frank LaMere’s legacy.”
LaMere died in June after a short battle with cancer.
The President and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., Lance Morgan says he appreciates King’s support.
“If you know Congressman King he is the kind of guy who will do what he think who is right. I think there could be some criticism from hunters who use it, but we don’t mind at all.”
Congressman King first introduced legislation in 2017 to restore several tracks of land in Woodbury and Monona Counties that currently under the jurisdiction of the Iowa DNR. A total of about 1,600 acres.
Congressman King says next month he plans to meet with Frank’s daughter Jennifer LaMere to map out the next steps in the quest to return native land to the Winnebago Tribe.
King says another issue he plans to continue to fight for is getting lawmakers in Washington to pass a fetal heartbeat bill.
The primary election takes place on June 2, 2020. King faces four different challengers including former Iowa Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull.
Also, in the running; Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor, the former mayor of Irwin Bret Richards, and Arnolds Park businessman Steve Reeder.
The winner of the June primary will face Democrat J.D. Scholten in November.
