King Tells Ames High His Stances Are Rooted in the Constitution

Congressman Steve King's campaign handed out copies of US Constitutions to every Ames High School student who would take one before a forum there Wednesday. And King demonstrated how most of his answers to their questions were based on his copy during a Q&A.

Students submitted questions to King and his 4th District opponent Christie Vilsack as part of an Ames High School government class. Vilsack visited the school Friday and King made an appearance Wednesday.

“I am a full spectrum Constitutional conservative,” King said, “and the positions she takes, she is on the liberal side of the aisle.”

Students' questions covered topics such as the economy, same-sex marriage, women's rights, the affordable health care act and NAFTA.

King said he introduced an amendment prohibiting same-sex marriages on military bases because the Defense Of Marriage Act states marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman.

“I've taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and that also includes the rule of law,” King said adding that he feels President Barack Obama has crossed the boundaries between the legislative and executive branch of government by asking that DOMA not be enforced.

“If the defense of marriage act should be repealed by a vote of Congress and signed by a president … I'll abide by the law. I have a long history of abiding by the law,” King said.

King's interpretation of the constitution arose again in questions about abortion and birth control that King said sounded like they were written by Christie Vilsack to students' gasps.

King said his views on Roe v Wade have been misrepresented, but he would give students the short version.

As King said on a weekend television program, the State of Connecticut tried to ban sales of birth control even to married couples in 1965 which the Supreme Court overturned based on a Constitutional right to privacy. The same privacy finding was used as the basis for Roe v Wade, King said.

Supreme Court found that right to privacy in the shadows of the Constitution, he said.

“I think we need to have our Supreme Court decisions written on solid grounds. I think it's written on weak grounds. … I believe four of the Supreme Court justices agree with me on that case,” King said.

King did say that taxes should not be used to fund abortions and that he never said states had a right to ban birth control.

“If a state wanted to ban contraceptives I would say to them, ' ... I would drop that issue and move onto something you can do that's constructive.'”

King said he supported a movement to oust Justice David Wiggins, one of the Iowa Supreme Court judges that upheld gay marriage rulings. And King said he also took a Constitutional position in this case as well.

“When you read the decision of Varnum v. Brien. That decision is not founded and grounded in Constitutional language or law. I think it was a political decision, a policy decision, a social agenda that justices decided they wanted to support each other on,” King said.

He said the rights they found in the Constitution were up to this point unimagined.

“Any judge that will find unimagined rights in our Constitution will eventually take some of our rights away. I think that's a clear dis-qualifier for a judge,” King said.

The Constitution came in handy for student Josh Newell who showed the 9th Amendment to King after the forum and used it to argue in favor of gay marriage.

It states, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

DOMA seemed to conflict with Newell's interpretation of the Ninth Amendment.

If someone has the right to do something than everyone must have the right to do something, Newell told King.

“I wouldn't vote for him (King) if I could,” Newell said later. “I disagree with a lot of what he said. His support of the Ryan Budget and locking in Pell Grants at $5,500 I completely disagree with. In 20 years $5,500 may not be enough to buy a candy bar.”