Pence: 'Van Jones should resign his position'

The White House faced further pressure on Friday over the revelation that Obama's green jobs czar Van Jones was connected with the 'truther' groups that claimed 9/11 was an American conspiracy. Now a top Republican wants him out.

Republican Representative Mike Pence is the third most powerful Republican in the House. He is a conservative Congressman from Indiana, serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee since 2003. As a former member of the Agriculture Committee, he is likely instrumental in helping shape a bipartisan bill on Cap-and-Trade should one emerge. But Pence has a problem with President Obama's green jobs czar - and Pence's problem is becoming an issue for the White House. On Friday, Pence called on Van Jones, Obama's pick for the lead role on the Council for Environmental Quality, to resign - as revelations have emerged that Van Jones signed on to 9/11 conspiracy "truther" groups. The 9/11 Truth movement , or "truthers," refers loosely to groups or individuals who question the mainstream interpretation of the 9/11 attacks. There are a number of conspiracies around 9/11 - and some of them point fingers at the U.S. government. When asked about the "truther" question, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "It's not something the president agrees with." For his part, Van Jones has denied any involvement in the "truther" cause. But Pence believes the matter is too questionable. "Given recent revelations concerning the associations and statements of the president's green jobs czar, Van Jones should resign his position and if he is unwilling to do so, the president should demand his resignation. His extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this Administration or the public debate," Pence said, according to Politico. "The Constitution of the United States vests Congress with the responsibility to advise and consent in the appointment of high ranking officials by the president. To date, President Obama has appointed more than thirty individuals to ‘czar’ positions within his Administration without permitting the Congress or the American people to properly examine their backgrounds or public records."