House Republicans Voted to Oust Ilhan Omar From Foreign Affairs Committee
[guest post by Dana]
House Republicans…voted to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee… Speaker Kevin McCarthy initially had faced a handful of GOP defections, but by Thursday he and his team had whipped GOP members back in line, and 218 Republicans voted to back the resolution condemning Omar for past antisemitic comments and removing her from the committee. One Republican, Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, a senior member of the Ethics Committee, voted present.
Democrats were unified in their support of Omar.
During her floor speech before the vote, the representative accused Republicans of bigotry, believing that she was being ousted for being a Muslim immigrant from Africa. She did not mention her previous use of anti-semitic tropes, which had resulted in a rebuke by fellow Democrats, and ultimately (according to Republicans) led to today’s vote.
From her speech:
“There is this idea that you are a suspect if you are an immigrant, or if you are from certain parts of the world or a certain skin tone, or a Muslim. It is no accident that members of the Republican Party accused the first black president, Barack Obama, of being a secret Muslim,” Omar said.
“Well, I am Muslim,” she added. “I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy? Or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies defended Omar and accused Republicans of having a “quadruple” standard and that the impending ouster of the representative was “political revenge”. However, he also acknowledged that her past anti-semitic comments had gotten her in trouble:
“Rep. Omar certainly has made mistakes,” Jeffries told reporters. “Ilhan Omar has apologized. She has indicated that she’ll learn from her mistakes, is working to build bridges….with the Jewish community.”
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Max Miller from Ohio:
Omar “has disqualified herself from serving on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, a panel that is viewed by nations around the world as speaking for Congress on matters of international importance and national security.”
Miller, who is one of two Jewish Republicans in the House, said in a statement that Omar “cannot be an objective decision-maker on the Foreign Affairs Committee given her biases against Israel and against the Jewish people.”
–Dana
Good morning.
Here’s the thing: While I have my doubts about her being able to be objective on any matters concerning Israel (see her past comments/history), I also don’t think it’s a real stretch to guess that there are some MAGA Republicans who see nothing but Muslim when they look at her, and in their view, that’s enough to oust her.
Dana (1225fc) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:22 amOmar got ousted—for a lot of good and sufficient reasons—but also because she was and is a flaming jerk.
Comanche Voter (a15ae2) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:36 amThere should be no place for an antisemitic bigot on a Foreign Affairs Committee that will be voting on matters that affect a Semitic nation. Same also applies to an antisemitic bigot like Ms. Taylor Greene.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:48 amAgreed, Paul. I meant to mention Marge in the post but forgot.
Dana (1225fc) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:51 amCleaning House.
It’s a spring thing as the season nears…
DCSCA (a5ff5e) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:57 amI think it’s no coincidence that Santos “stepped away” from his committees.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 11:14 amThe problem of course is that this now becomes a new battleground for future Congresses well into the future. Why stop here? Why not just vote all the Democrats off of all committees? We’ve already dispensed with comity.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 11:17 amI also don’t think it’s a real stretch to guess that there are some MAGA Republicans who see nothing but Muslim when they look at her, and in their view, that’s enough to oust her.
Dana (1225fc) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:22 am
there are certainly people who think the worst in others based strictly on who they are, whether it’s about Muslims or MAGA folks
JF (a2084c) — 2/2/2023 @ 11:59 amA good start.
NJRob (d32201) — 2/2/2023 @ 12:29 pmMeanwhile hate of legislators can have real world consequences, this one’s a sub-saharan conservative R:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-jersey-councilwoman-shot-killed-targeted-attack-home/story?id=96844342
NJR on the ground crushing heads most likely since hasn’t posted this yet.
urbanleftbehind (3dae16) — 2/2/2023 @ 12:33 pmIt has nothing to do with Omar’s anti-Semitisms.
The fact that Democrats are united in defending Omar means they don’t care about her anti-semitic behaviors.
This is simply political pay-back for kicking off MTG, Jim Jordan and Jim Banks from their committees.
Everyone knows this, and is lying arguing otherwise.
This is a redux of McConnell removing 60 vote threshold for SCOTUS appointments. After Harry Reid removed it for the lower courts.
What goes around, comes around.
whembly (d116f3) — 2/2/2023 @ 12:34 pmComity? Surely you jest*. In this, IMHO, hopelessly divided country, advocates of comity are delusional.
* I’m not jesting and don’t call me Shirley
Horatio (84947d) — 2/2/2023 @ 12:44 pmadvocates of comity are delusional
So apparently are advocates of sanity. Yet without comity we have no nation, just a bunch of people arming against each other. You may think that’s a good idea until the local Antifa mob, armed with shotguns, knocks on your door and demands to know where you and your family stand in the civil war.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 1:11 pmTo tell you the truth, while I understand turfing those leftist clowns from the Intelligence committee, I don’t see why Omar needs to go from Foreign Affairs. She’s in the minority, so it’s not like her vote counts. Then again, they turfed MTG from ALL her committees (much worse than this) when she was ALSO in the minority. Maybe this train, too, has left the station.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 1:15 pmAre canes allowed on the House floor?
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 1:17 pmWe haven’t had a “nation” as defined by, to quote Michael Savage, “Borders, language, culture”, in years. And being a strong proponent of the 2ndA, and a well prepared one living in a Western Constitutional State, Antifa coming around is not something that concerns me.
Now for those who live in blue cities or States, Antifa may be an issue
Horatio (84947d) — 2/2/2023 @ 1:22 pm“Constitutional Carry”
Horatio (84947d) — 2/2/2023 @ 1:24 pmShe should’ve been deported for immigration fraud and would have been, years ago, if she wasn’t a protected and useful tool of the left.
NJRob (d32201) — 2/2/2023 @ 1:34 pmThe difference is that she’s a Republican anti-Semitic bigot.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/2/2023 @ 2:26 pmAOC’s eloquent defense of Ilhan Omar (see it at DU) points out paul gosar who threatened AOC’s life was given committee assignments as was the anti-semite jewish space laser MTG. Making Ilhan Omar a martyr will be a good career move for her. As the kleons say revenge is a dish best eaten cold. When the democrats retake the house they can start with mccarthy and work down.
asset (f599a1) — 2/2/2023 @ 3:14 pmThis is simply political pay-back for kicking off MTG, Jim Jordan and Jim Banks from their committees.
And low-hanging fruit at that.
nk (bb1548) — 2/2/2023 @ 3:31 pmIlhan Omar is a niche product. Like AOC. What they say, what they do, only matters to them. Whether they get to keep their market.
nk (bb1548) — 2/2/2023 @ 3:35 pm@21 what AOC says matters to a lot more people including the base of the democrat party.
asset (f599a1) — 2/2/2023 @ 3:46 pmAntifa coming around is not something that concerns me.
No, you’ll be in the other mob, killing Leftie families.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:13 pmOmar is pretty corrupt and highly repugnant wrt to her anti-Semitic views.
It’s impossible to work up any outrage she was booted from committee.
If we’re lucky this hurts her re-election chances. But I doubt it will.
A precedent that the 2 or 3 most corrupt / insane members of the opposition don’t get committee seats might not be a bad one.
Omar/Tlaib/MTG/Graetz/Boebert all having less power is appealing.
Time123 (4b5c33) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:13 pmDana, yes, some of the opposition to Omar is motivated by racism. But there are plenty of non-racist reasons to strongly dislike her.
Time123 (4b5c33) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:15 pmWhen the democrats retake the house they can start with mccarthy and work down.
There is never an end to wing-nuttery.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:15 pmIn a sane Congress there would be 350 votes to eject about 8 members, from both parties.
Omar, Tlaib, Gosar, Boebert, MTG, Santos and 2 Democrats to be named later.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:19 pmI’d put Gaetz on the list and give a 3rd Dem the boot.
Time123 (4b5c33) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:30 pm@22 AOC is obnoxious. But I view her as a counterpart to say, Chip Roy, then to MTG.
Kinda like Chip Roy from time to time btw. Sometimes much less so but the man has his moments.
Time123 (4b5c33) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:32 pmKevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 11:17 am
The Democrats did just two- not counting the two Republicans Nany Pelosi rejected from the Jan 6 committee-so this is proportional.
The Speaker alone could kick off members of the Intelligence committee because it is a select committee, but the full House had to vote to remove someone from a regular committee.
Ilhan Omar, by the way, was not removed from all her committees, or prohibited from joining another one.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:44 pmAlternative plan: give the extreme members an option: join a third party or get booted. Not sure what Santos would do though.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:56 pmI guess it would be too much to hope for to give Maxine the boot.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 4:57 pmMichael Savage? Lol. He should be locked in a room with Keith Olbermann until both lose the moisture to douse us in their spittle.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 2/2/2023 @ 5:12 pmThe Dems need Maxine to protect them from Michael Tracey.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 2/2/2023 @ 5:16 pmI think the Republicans overplayed their hand here.
kaf (0c6d6c) — 2/2/2023 @ 5:37 pmIt was easy to point to real reasons to kick Swalwell (Chinese spy girlfriend) and Schiff (constantly leaking to media).
But with Omar it is a policy / opinion difference.
if they had stuck to the first two they would be able to have an argument when the Dems take back control and toss all the Repubs off committees.
@36. Nah. McCarthy said she could sit on other committees – just not the House Foreign Affairs committee. No loss.
DCSCA (f4bd49) — 2/2/2023 @ 5:42 pmwhen the Dems take back control and toss all the Repubs off committees.
Things that can’t happen, won’t happen.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 10:54 pmMeanwhile, Jim Jordan chairs the House Judiciary Committee and got his head handed to him by the Democrats when he offered a motion to have the Pledge before every committee session. The Demos said OK, but no insurrectionists can be involved. Things went downhill from there.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/2/2023 @ 11:34 pmPerhaps…but again, not addressing the idea that Borders, Language, and Culture are essential to a successful nation State…
Horatio (acbc4d) — 2/3/2023 @ 6:32 amMake that a stagnant nation state. Secure borders certainly, but more often than not in history xenophobic, monoglot, monocultural nations wind up as either part of a polyglot, diverse empire or carved up as provinces of their neighbors.
nk (bb1548) — 2/3/2023 @ 6:51 amSince there were zero insurrectionists, I don’t see the issue Kevin?
Surely you’re not talking about the leftists that voted against George W’s and Trump’s presidency, right?
NJRob (dd8ad6) — 2/3/2023 @ 9:17 amFireworks in House after Democrat says ‘insurrectionists’ should be banned from leading Pledge of Allegiance
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/3/2023 @ 9:25 am