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House Republicans voted to oust Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. The reasons? A history of anti-Semitic and anti-U.S. statements that got the new Speaker to deem that “she should not serve there.”
The GOP won the expulsion with 218 yes votes, 211 no votes from Democrats, and a “present” vote from Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH). Kevin McCarthy dismissed this as a tit-for-tat, given that Democrats expelled some Republicans from all of their committee assignments during the 117th Congress, namely Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA).
“If it was tit for tat, we would have picked people, took them off all committees and said nothing about it […] We’re not removing her from other committees,” he said. “We just do not believe when it comes to foreign affairs, especially the responsibility of that position around the world with the comments that you make. She shouldn’t serve there,” the spokesman said at a press conference.
Negotiations among Republicans to approve Omar’s expulsion lasted more than a week. Some simply did not want to participate in a move that could be perceived as a settling of scores, but finally ended up voting in favor.
Among the reasons for Omar’s expulsion were his repeated anti-Semitic comments, comparing the U.S. military to Islamic terrorist organizations, and describing 9/11 as a day when “some people did something,” among other things. In addition, McCarthy lamented that Omar has never apologized for his rhetoric.
The move was celebrated by the Republican Jewish Coalition, which released a statement on the matter. “For years, Democratic leadership has failed to hold Rep. Ilhan Omar accountable for her vile, hateful, and dangerous anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric. Today, Republicans, under Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership, kept their promise to remove Rep. Omar from the prestigious and crucially important House Foreign Affairs Committee,” they said in the letter.
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“RJC has long advocated for Rep. Omar’s removal from this critical committee,” the statement continued. “We are gratified that Rep. Omar will no longer be in a privileged position to influence legislation regarding US policy toward Israel and the Middle East,” they celebrated.
Omar, 40, born in Somalia, came to Congress in 2019 after being elected in the 2018 midterm elections. She is one of the founders of the progressive legislative group dubbed “The Squad,” which also includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Summer Lee, Greg Casar, and Delia Ramirez.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]