Steve King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steve King
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Greg Ganske
Succeeded by	Randy Feenstra
Constituency	5th district (2003–2013) 4th district (2013–2021)
Member of the Iowa Senate from the 6th district
In office January 13, 1997 – January 2, 2003
Preceded by	Wayne Bennett
Succeeded by	Thurman Gaskill
Personal details
Born	Steven Arnold King (1949-05-28) May 28, 1949 (age 76) Storm Lake, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Marilyn King ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	3
Education	Northwest Missouri State University

Steven Arnold King, born on May 28, 1949, is a former American politician and businessman. He was a U.S. Representative for Iowa from 2003 to 2021. As a member of the Republican Party, he first represented Iowa's 5th congressional district. Later, he represented the state's 4th congressional district.

King was born in Storm Lake, Iowa. He attended Northwest Missouri State University from 1967 to 1970. In 1975, he started his own construction company. He worked in business before getting into politics.

In 1996, King ran for a seat in the Iowa Senate. He won and was reelected in 2000. In 2002, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected several times. However, after some controversial comments, he lost support and was not reelected in 2020.

About Steve King's Early Life and Career

Steven Arnold King was born on May 28, 1949, in Storm Lake, Iowa. His mother, Mildred Lila, was a homemaker. His father, Emmett A. King, was a state police dispatcher. His family has roots from Ireland, Germany, and Wales.

King finished high school in 1967. In 1972, he married Marilyn Kelly. They have three children together. He was raised Methodist but later became Catholic, like his wife. His son, Jeff King, has helped with his father's political campaigns.

King studied math and biology at Northwest Missouri State University from 1967 to 1970. He did not finish his degree there. In 1975, he started his own company, King Construction. This company focused on moving earth for building projects. He also became involved with a contractors' association, which sparked his interest in public policy.

Steve King's Time in the Iowa State Senate (1997–2003)

King as an Iowa state senator

In 1996, Steve King was elected to represent Iowa's 6th Senate district. He won against the person who held the seat before him in the primary election. Then, he defeated Eileen Heiden, a Democrat, in the main election. He was reelected for a second term in 2000.

During his time in the Iowa State Senate, King supported certain laws. He proposed a bill that would require public schools to teach that the U.S. is a great nation. This bill said the nation's strength came from things like Christianity and free enterprise. He also helped pass a law that made English the official language of Iowa.

Steve King's Role in the U.S. House of Representatives (2003–2021)

Steve King is known for his very conservative views on money matters and social issues. After winning the Republican nomination in 2002, he stated his goal was to make Congress more conservative. He often voted with the majority of the Republican Party.

King supported laws related to the Iraq War. He also supported efforts to increase troops and was against setting a timeline for troops to leave. He was known for sometimes voting against his own party's leaders. In 2015, he was named one of the least effective members of Congress. This was because his proposed laws often did not get approved by committees. In 2019, he voted against removing President Trump from office.

Committee Roles in Congress

King served on several important committees in the House of Representatives. These included the Judiciary Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and the Small Business Committee. However, in January 2019, he was removed from all his committee assignments. This happened after he made comments about white supremacy that many people from both parties found offensive.

Steve King's Political Views

King has often spoken about his political beliefs. He has dismissed concerns about global warming, calling it a "religion." He believes that efforts to deal with climate change are not useful.

King and Ted Cruz in 2015

He is against stricter rules for owning guns. King strongly opposes the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He has tried many times to get rid of this healthcare law. He also fought against Medicare and Medicaid covering certain medicines.

In 2014, a group that supports LGBT rights criticized King for his opposition to LGBT equality.

King is also strongly against immigration and different cultures mixing. He has supported a theory that suggests the white population is being replaced by non-white immigrants. In 2006, he said that the U.S. economy does not need undocumented immigrants. He suggested that people not working could be employed, or machines could replace the work. He also called for an electrified fence along the U.S. border. In 2017, he asked for more money to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. King is also against affirmative action, which aims to help groups that have faced discrimination.

Steve King's Life After Politics

After losing the Republican primary election in 2020, Steve King wrote a book. The book is called Walking Through the Fire: My Fight for the Heart and Soul of America. In it, he shares his side of what happened. He traveled to promote the book, which was published by a company known for Christian and conservative books. King said he wrote the book so that the media and Republican leaders would not be the only ones telling his story. The book argues that freedom of speech is being threatened. It also claims that terms like "white nationalist" are used unfairly by the Democratic Party.

In 2021, King said he had no plans to return to politics unless there was a lot of public demand. He noted that he still had many causes and policies he wanted to support.

King has also spoken out against pipelines that capture carbon. In 2023, he criticized the use of eminent domain for these pipelines. Eminent domain is when the government can take private land for public use, even if the owner doesn't want to sell it.

In December 2023, King campaigned with 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. He fully supported Ramaswamy in January 2024.