On Tuesday the House voted 424 to 1 in favor of a resolution rejecting white supremacy and white nationalism following racist comments made by Iowa Republican Steve King.
Utah Rep. Chris Stewart said during floor debate he supported the resolution, but hoped Democrats won’t politicize the vote to paint Republicans as “irredeemably racist.”
“We are all I believe children of the same god and I hope the majority and their sincere in ushering this resolution to the floor, not just an opportunity to shame one party, as irredeemably racist, but as a united statement against bigotry,” said Stewart. “When bigotry goes unchallenged. It festers and rears its ugly head. Slavery and other types of racial and religious intolerance did. This is something that must unite this body.”
Stewart also cited his Mormon faith as a reason he voted in favor of the resolution.
“I do have some personal insight into this problem. It doesn’t come as a surprise to many that being from Utah I am a Mormon and my church, as many know, was founded in New York in the early 1800’s and we were driven further and further west as members of my church were targeted and killed for their sincerely held religious belief, and our leader was killed. They lost their freedom and some cases they lost their lives. Unfortunately, such hatred still exists today,” said Stewart.
Watch the clip below via CSPAN.
