Congress

Steve King: New Orleans’ Hurricane Katrina Victims Only Asked for Help, Iowans ‘Take Care of Each Other’

BIGOTRY

GOP rep told Iowans their ability to “take care of each other” contrasted with NOLA residents’ reliance on outside help.

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Scott Morgan/Reuters

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) reportedly aimed a thinly veiled dis at victims of Hurricane Katrina on Thursday while speaking at a town hall in Iowa. According to video posted by HuffPost, King praised Iowans for showing that they can “take care of each other” and suggested their response to recent flooding was appreciated because it differed so much from that of residents in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. “I saw that from the air and from the ground and went back and did what we could to help those folks down there,” King recalled from his visit to New Orleans. “But here’s what FEMA tells me: ‘We go to a place like New Orleans and everybody’s looking around saying who’s gonna help me, who’s gonna help me?’” He then said the official praised the people of Iowa for not relying on outside assistance during times of need. “They’re just always gratified when they come and see Iowans take care of each other, so that’s a point of pride that spreads across the country,” he said.

Read it at HuffPost