Ciattarelli Lambasts Iowa Congressman's 'Astoundingly Ignorant' Comments

From Jack Ciattarelli's office:

Calling Iowa Congressman Steve King’s remarks on immigration insensitive and blatantly stereotypical, Assembly Republican Jack Ciattarelli called for King’s resignation from the U.S. Congress today. 

The 4th Congressional District representative characterized the children of many undocumented immigrants as drug traffickers in saying, “They aren't all valedictorians, they weren't all brought in by their parents…For every one who's a valedictorian, there's another hundred out there that they weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert."

“Congressman King’s pejorative remarks are astoundingly ignorant, intolerable, and have absolutely no place in American society, least of all the U.S. Congress,” said Ciattarelli, R-Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer and Middlesex. “What we need is rational and thoughtful debate on the illegal immigration issue. What we don’t need are the stereotypical and egregious remarks made by King. As an American, I find his remarks callous, insulting, and unbecoming an elected official. As a Republican, I am embarrassed that he is a member of our party.”

Ciattarelli said King’s statement that, "What I said was descriptive, it was honest and it was accurate,” confirms there was no misquote or misunderstanding.

“The congressman’s prejudice in no way reflects the ‘Party of Lincoln’ and its core principle of protecting the equal natural rights of the individual,” continued Ciattarelli. “It is my hope that fellow elected Republicans nationwide will join in calling for his resignation. Our party must have zero tolerance for this kind of mindset and such incredibly offensive remarks.”