On November 5--one day before Election Day--the Weekly Standard reported that Congressman Steve King of Iowa referred to Mexican immigrants coming to the West Coast as "dirt." In response to King's demands that the Weekly Standard back up its claims, the Weekly Standard released audio that proves King indeed used those words.

In response, over 150 groups signed an open letter demanding that King be censured. But in light of King's outrageous history, censure is no longer enough.

This is a man who has a long history of giving succor to racists and white supremacists. For instance, he traveled to Austria earlier in the fall and gave an interview to a far-right newspaper in which he held forth on the myth of "white genocide." In essence, he yelled, "You will not replace us!" He has also suggested that it's not possible to build a culture with "somebody else's babies." He has openly supported far-right populists in Europe.

Simply put, King has become an embarrassment to the House and to the people of his district. If a Democratic congress(wo)man were to openly give succor to the likes of Louis Farrakhan, there would rightly be demands for Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic leadership to find a way to get him or her out of the chamber. This is no different.

It is time for the newly elected Republican House leadership--Minority Leader-elect Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader-elect Steve Scalise, and Republican Conference Chairwoman-elect Liz Cheney--to take a stand. They must call King in and tell--not ask--him to decline to take his seat for a ninth term. This is one time when they must be Americans first and Republicans second.