Steve King passed over for immigration panel

POLITICO
By SIMMI AUJLA
January 7, 2011 2:45 PM EST

House leaders passed over anti-illegal immigration hardliner Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for the chairmanship of an immigration panel on the Judiciary Committee Friday.

Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith appointed Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) instead, a member of the subcommittee but less senior than King, who was the panel’s top Republican in the last Congress.

King is known for his anti-illegal immigration stances. The tea party favorite introduced a measure on the first day of the new Congress that would limit birthright citizenship. He’s a close friend of longtime illegal-immigration foe Tom Tancredo.

King has made incendiary comments that grab headlines, like threatening “deport a liberalâ€