Of course Congress should rebuke Steve King. And all anti-Semitic Democrats

House Republicans acted Monday to strip Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, of his committee assignments in the House of Representatives after King told the New York Times, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” Republicans made it unambiguously clear that any flirtation with white supremacy will not be tolerated in the Republican Party. Now it's time for Democrats in Congress to confront the hatred in their ranks.

After King's remarks were published, they were roundly condemned by Republican lawmakers, including both of Iowa's senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who is black, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post blasting King's comments, writing, “When people with opinions similar to King’s open their mouths, they damage not only the Republican Party and the conservative brand but also our nation as a whole." Others such as Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, have called on King to resign from office. Before stripping King of his committee assignments for the new Congress, House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said, "I've watched on the other side that they do not take action when their members say something like this. Action will be taken."

There are plenty of examples of Democrats making anti-Semitic statements, holding anti-Semitic views, or meeting with anti-Semites without condemnation from party leadership.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., once compared Jews living in disputed Israeli territories to termites, saying, “There has been a steady [stream], almost like termites can get into a residence and eat before you know that you’ve been eaten up and you fall in on yourself, there has been settlement activity that has marched forward with impunity and at an ever increasing rate to the point where it has become alarming.” His remarks were condemned by the Anti-Defamation League. Johnson was not stripped of his committee assignments or censured, but he was re-elected.

Or take Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who has endorsed the racist "one-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and openly supports the anti-Semitic BDS movement. At her swearing-in ceremony for this Congress, she was pictured with a pro-Hezbollah activist who has praised Hezbollah leaders such as Hassan Nasrallah.

There's more. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., also supports BDS and has slandered Israel as an "apartheid regime" and called on Allah to "awaken the people" to "the evil doings of Israel."

Both Tlaib and Omar have spoken at events for the Hamas-tied Council on American Islamic Relations. Both women have also associated with anti-Semitic Womens' March activist Linda Sarsour, who shares ties with notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam hate cult.

Farrakhan has a long history of disgusting ‏and anti-Semitic comments, most recently comparing Jewish people to termites. But he was literally embraced by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., in 2002, just before he delivered a speech defending Palestinian terrorists.

Has Waters ever been asked to explain her embrace of Farrakhan? Or what of the 21 sitting Democratic members of Congress who met with Farrakhan in 2005, as former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer noted:

On Monday, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel applauded the action taken against King by House Republicans, tweeting, "There's no place for white supremacy in our country." She also called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take action against Democrats who "continue to associate with prominent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan."

So far, Democratic leaders have taken no action against the members in their own ranks who have made anti-Semitic comments or have anti-Semitic ties.

It's good that lawmakers condemned Steve King's remarks. But why is anti-Semitism given safe harbor in Congress? It's time for Nancy Pelosi to step up.

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