House Republicans will not seat Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, on any committees in the 116th Congress, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Iowa, said late today, both The Washington Post and The New York Times reported.

“We will not be seating Steve King on any committees in the 116th Congress,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said after a GOP Steering Committee meeting Monday night, the Post reported.

“The decision was unanimous. It must be ratified by all House Republicans.”

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King, who was elected to a ninth term in November, serves on the House Judiciary, Agriculture and Small Business committees.

In a statement, King said that what he had said about race that led to his censure had been “mischaracterized,” but he also hinted that he might not run for re-election in 2020.

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Here is King’s full statement:

“Leader McCarthy’s decision to remove me from committees is a political decision that ignores the truth.

“The truth is as follows:

“One of my quotes in a New York Times story has been completely mischaracterized. Here’s the context I believe accurately reflects my statement.

“In a 56-minute interview, we discussed the changing use of language in political discourse. We discussed the worn out label ‘racist’ and my observation that other slanderous labels have been increasingly assigned to conservatives by the left, who injected into our current political dialog such terms as Nazi, fascist, white nationalist, white supremacist — Western civilization, how did THAT language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization? … Just to watch ‘Western civilization’ become a derogatory term in political discourse today.

“Clearly, I was only referencing Western civilization classes. No one ever sat in a class listening to the merits of white nationalism and white supremacy.

“When I used the word ‘THAT’ it was in reference ONLY to Western civilization and NOT to any previously stated evil ideology ALL of which I have denounced. My record as a vocal advocate for Western civilization is nearly as full as my record in defense of freedom of speech.

“Ultimately, I told him ‘You have to do what you have to do and I will do what I have to do.’ I will continue to point out the truth and work with all the vigor that I have to represent 4th District Iowans for at least the next two years.”

This month, after the Supreme Court declined to take up challenges to California and Massachusetts state laws that ban the sale of eggs, pork and veal under current conditions and a California law banning the sale of force-fed liver used in foie gras, King and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., re-introduced a bill that would stop such laws, King said in a news release.