Omar ouster: Here are the arguments for and against the Democrat’s committee removal
Cami Mondeaux
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House Republicans voted on Thursday to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her position on the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, prompting outcry from Democrats who argue the decision was politically and racially motivated.
Lawmakers approved her removal after a contentious debate on the House floor that featured fiery speeches and an emotional defense from Omar herself. Her removal from the committee comes after months of repeated pledges from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as he pointed to her anti-Israel positions over the last four years.
AOC BLASTS HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ ‘RACISM’ AHEAD OF VOTE TO OUST OMAR FROM COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT
The resolution passed with a 218-211 vote on party lines, with all Republicans backing the measure and only one GOP member voting “present.”
Here are the reasons Republicans backed Omar’s removal and why Democrats are pushing back against the vote.
Republicans target Omar over anti-Israel stances
McCarthy and other Republican leaders have long vowed to remove Omar from her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her anti-Israel stances as evidence she was unqualified to sit on the panel that shapes U.S. foreign policy.
“Representative Omar, by her own words, 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,” read the resolution to oust Omar.
Several GOP members on the committee voiced their support of Omar’s removal, noting the Minnesota Democrat’s antisemitic statements on the high-profile committee could harm U.S. relations with Israel.
“As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I’ve sat there and heard the representative actually spew anti-American rhetoric as well,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY). “I’ve been in that committee room where the representative equates Israel and the United States to Hamas and the Taliban. Absolutely unacceptable for a member of that committee.”
Omar first came under fire after comments she made in 2019 likening the conflict between Israel and Hamas to the United States and the Taliban — prompting criticism from both parties. The Minnesota Democrat later clarified her comments, arguing they were meant to encourage “the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.”
Omar also came under scrutiny for a tweet she posted in 2012 saying that “Israel has hypnotized the world” while committing “evil doings.”
Republicans have also hit out against Omar for comments referencing Jewish tropes and stereotypes, accusing the Minnesota Democrat of being antisemitic. In one instance, Omar posted a tweet in February 2019 suggesting U.S. support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins,” referencing money. Omar later deleted the tweet and apologized.
Omar defended her previous statements earlier this week, saying she was unaware at the time that they were offensive.
“I certainly did not, or was not aware, that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope. I wasn’t aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been a very enlightening part of this journey,” Omar told CNN on Sunday. “To insinuate that I knowingly said these things when people have read into my comments to make it sound as if I have something against the Jewish community is so wrong.”
Democrats decry Omar ouster as “racist” attack
Several Democrats have come to Omar’s defense, decrying efforts to strip her of her committee assignments as being motivated by bigotry.
In a speech before Thursday’s vote, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) denounced House Republicans for issuing a “targeted” attack against her fellow “Squad” member.
“I think one of the things that we should talk about, and what is one of the disgusting legacies after 9/11, has been the targeting and racism against Muslim Americans throughout the United States of America, and this is an extension of that legacy,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “There is nothing consistent with the Republican Party’s continued attack except for the racism and the incitement of violence against women of color in this body.”
Going further, the firebrand Democrat accused Republicans of hypocrisy by seeking to strip Omar of her committee assignment while restoring those for GOP members who were previously removed for incendiary comments.
“Don’t tell me this is about consistency. Don’t tell me this is a condemnation of antisemitic remarks when you have a member of the Republican caucus who has talked about Jewish space lasers,” Ocasio-Cortez added, referring to a comment from Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), who suggested in December 2021 that “Jewish space lasers” caused the 2018 California wildfires.
Omar echoed similar sentiments, lamenting the vote was an act of silencing a black Muslim woman.
“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? Frankly, it is expected. Because when you push power, power pushes back,” the congresswoman said before the vote.
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However, the Minnesota Democrat vowed to remain as an influential vote in the House.
“I will continue to speak up because representation matters. I will continue to speak up for families around the world who are seeking justice whether they are displaced in refugee camps or they are hiding under their beds somewhere like I was, waiting for the bullets to stop,” Omar said.