Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) on Monday called out Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for “deeply disturbing” remarks he made over the weekend.
Lewis said King’s controversial rhetoric “ignores the truth about the history of this nation.”
“Western civilization did not create itself. It was founded on traditions that emerged from Africa, Iran, China, Green and Rome and other nations," the civil rights leader said in his statement.
In a tweet on Sunday, King praised far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who has criticized Islam and who supports curbing immigration. King said in his tweet, “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies."
Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies. https://t.co/4nxLipafWO
— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) March 12, 2017
“Well, of course, I meant exactly what I said,” King said on CNN on Monday.
"I'd like to see an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot the same, from that perspective,” he added.
Lewis denounced King’s remarks and dismissed the idea of a “homogenous appearance” for the United States.
“With the exception of Native Americans, we all came to this land from some other place in the world community, and this country is a melting pot of cultures, traditions, appearances, and languages. In order to live together as one people we must come to respect the dignity and the worth of every human being. It is that understanding that will make us one nation, not a homogenous appearance,” Lewis continued in the statement.
Lewis called for King’s “bigoted and racist” statement to be “condemned.”
He said his colleague's remark "suggests there is one cultural tradition and one appearance that all of humanity should conform to. These ideas have given rise to some of the worst atrocities in human history, and they must be condemned."
Lewis joins a growing list of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who have rebuked King for his statement.
Stmt from @repjohnlewis on Rep @SteveKingIA's comments: "Rep. King’s statement is bigoted and racist." pic.twitter.com/qKcg6ToVQn
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) March 13, 2017