In recent news, the state of Iowa has been recognized nationwide for three things: caucuses, corn and U.S. Representative Steve King.

King, who has been a representative for Iowa’s 4th district since 2003, has recently come under fire by both sides of the aisle. In a New York Times article published last week, King asked “white nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

As a result, King was stripped of all committee assignments. This past Monday, King sent out a press release stating that “leader McCarthy’s decision to remove me from committees is a political decision that ignores the truth.” Yet, he supported the resolution passed by the House condemning his white supremacy comment.

This is not the first time King has said something offensive. This past December, King tweeted that he agreed with a quote from the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban: “Mixing cultures will not lead to a higher quality of life but a lower one.”

This past October, King was criticized by the Anti Defamation League, a group committed to fighting anti semitism, for meeting with a far right-Austrian party with historical ties to Nazis.

Given his recent string of offensive remarks, many people are asking, why now? Why are Republicans condemning King now instead of months or years ago?

Some point to the recent congressional election, where King only won by three percent after fending off democratic challenger J.D. Scholten. This may point to King losing his power over his district, wildly thought to be an easy win for the Republicans.

Others may point to the fact that King’s radical remarks might be getting in the way from getting actual work done. Having to rebuke King’s comments every month can take valuable time away from members of Congress trying to create and pass legislation.

What comes next for King? The Iowa State Daily Editorial Board suggests he resign.

Since King has been removed from his congressional committees, he now holds little political power outside of voting yes or no on legislation. Along with this, multiple Democratic representatives have introduced a resolution to formally censure King. However, this has raised concerns within the Democratic party about setting a precedent against the freedom of speech.

In the end, King’s offensive remarks are not a one time thing. His latest “viral” quote comes in a string of offensive quotes in recent months. This kind of behavior is something that should never be allowed in Congress.

Is this the man Iowa voters really wanted representing them? Or was he elected just because he was a Republican? We may have to wait until 2020 to find out — or hopefully sooner.