Pelosi calls for GOP to strip King of chairmanship

WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Democrat in the House is calling on Republican leaders to strip Iowa Rep. Steve King of a chairmanship after his inflammatory comments about immigration.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Tuesday that Speaker Paul Ryan and GOP leaders should immediately take the chairmanship of a House Judiciary subcommittee from King. Pelosi said King's "racist statements must be called out as unacceptable," and complained that the "tepid, brush-off" response from leadership was disgraceful.

King said this weekend that America can't restore "our civilization with somebody else's babies." He stood by those comments in an interview with CNN on Monday.

Ryan said Monday night on Fox News that he disagreed with King. Other Republicans have criticized King's comments.