House Republicans oust Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee

02 February 2023

The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives voted along party lines to remove Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) from the Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday following a series of emotional floor speeches by Omar's Democratic colleagues – all 211 of whom voted in support of Omar.

GOP lawmakers have long targeted Omar – the first Somali-born and naturalized citizen from Africa elected to the House –because of her Islamic faith and dissent toward Israel, its treatment of Palestinians, and its relationship with the US.

"The resolution explicitly condemns Omar for using an antisemitic trope to suggest Israel’s allies in U.S. politics were motivated by money rather than principle when she in 2019 tweeted, 'It’s all about the Benjamins baby,'" noted The Washington Post.

"The resolution also disapproves of Omar’s critiques of Israel and her comparison of actions by the United States to those of terrorist groups," the paper explained. "She later clarified those comments, saying, 'I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.'"

Omar spoke in her defense ahead of the vote.

“Who gets to be an American? What opinions do you have to have to be counted as American?" Omar said during her address. "That is what this debate is about. There is this idea that you are suspect if you are an immigrant. Or if you are from a certain part of the world, of a certain skin tone or a Muslim.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), as quoted by the Post, remarked that "what’s going to take place on the floor today is not a public policy debate. It’s not about accountability. It’s about political revenge."

The Washington Post's full report is available here (subscription required).

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