Ilhan Omar - live: GOP advances effort to oust Democrat from committee as she denies antisemitic remarks

John Bowden

Democratic Rep Ilhan Omar has accused Republican colleagues of racism as she gears up for a vote that could see her removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The House is set to take a vote Wednesday on a rule that would authorize her removal; then on Thursday, the House will take the final vote to decide the Minnesota lawmaker’s fate on the influential panel, where she has held a seat since she was first sworn in as a member of Congress in 2019.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans have claimed that Ms Omar should lose her seat on the panel due to her criticism of the Israeli government and its influence in Washington, saying it amounts to antisemitism.

But Ms Omar, a Somali immigrant of Muslim faith who has denied knowingly making knowingly antisemitic comments in the past, has argued that the push to remove her is rooted in racism, Islamophobia and House GOP bigotry.

“It is politically motivated,” Ms Omar said during a Sunday appearance on CNN. “In some cases, it’s motivated by the fact that many of these members don’t believe a Muslim, a refugee, an African should even be in Congress, let alone have the opportunity to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee.”

Key Points

Omar explains how Trump ‘tarnished’ American dream

00:50 , John Bowden

In a 2020 sitdown with The Independent, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar described her experience coming to America as a refugee and experiencing the search for her family’s personal slice of the American dream firsthand.

And she said that she believed that optimism that immigrants once looked to America with had been tarnished by Donald Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric.

“America… for so many people living abroad, including myself when I lived in a refugee camp, is a place where people do get an opportunity to fulfil their promise. And the idea that the United States has been seen as a place of refuge, as a place where as my grandfather used to say ‘eventually everyone becomes an American’, is now being led by a xenophobic, racist tyrant, who doesn’t understand anything that is fundamental to the American identity – that’s a shock to many people,” she told Richard Hall.

Read on:

Ilhan Omar interview: Trump is a racist tyrant – but America is strong enough to survive his presidency

Omar denounces ‘pathetic’ McCarthy ahead of vote

Wednesday 1 February 2023 23:50 , John Bowden

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar scorched Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Twitter ahead of Wednesay’s vote on a rule that would allow her to be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

In a tweet Tuesday evening, she wrote: “The fact that this has become a sole focus for @SpeakerMcCarthy that he is personally whipping votes for it is really pathetic. Not the debt ceiling or all the actual priorities a Speaker should be fighting to deal with and whip votes for,” before adding a shrugging emoji.

Marianne Williamson: McCarthy committing an ‘abuse of power'

Wednesday 1 February 2023 22:50 , John Bowden

Democrats in Congress weren’t the only ones raging at Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday as the GOP majority looks poised to boot Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Others like author Marianne Williamson decried the move by Republicans on Twitter; the issue trended throughout much of Wednesday as Mr McCarthy experience what may have been more resistance to the idea than he expected.

Another Republican says Omar’s fate comes down to ‘support’ for Israel

Wednesday 1 February 2023 22:30 , John Bowden

A second Republican congressman has just revealed a bit more of what is motivating the push to remove Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs.

Rep Max Miller wrote that his colleague “does not support our alliance” with Israel, which he called an ally for 75 years.

He added: “[S]he should not have a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.”

Some, like MSNBC’s Medhi Hasan responded: “What’s good about tweets like these is that they say the quiet part out loud. This isn’t about Jews or Judaism but about conflating antisemitism with criticism of Israel & making clear that Omar’s criticism of the US-Israel alliance is what makes her unacceptable to the GOP.”

What did Rep Ilhan Omar say that made Republicans want to remove her from a committee?

Wednesday 1 February 2023 22:10 , John Bowden

House Republicans hope to remove Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from the House Foreign Affairs Committee as early as Wednesday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and many other Republicans, and even some Democrats, have said that her criticisms of Israel amount to antisemitism.

But what exactly did she say to warrant the anger of her Republican rivals?

Eric Garcia looks into it:

What did Ilhan Omar say that made Republicans want to remove her from a committee?

GOP takes first step towards removing Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee

Wednesday 1 February 2023 21:50 , John Bowden

The House of Representatives voted took a procedural step that would allow them to remove Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The House voted 218 to 209 on a rule that would allow for a vote to kick Ms Omar off the key committee. A final vote is expected tomorrow.

Read more:

GOP takes first step towards removing Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee

Warren: We need Omar’s unique voice on Foreign Affairs

Wednesday 1 February 2023 21:30 , John Bowden

Senator Elizabeth Warren has weighed into the debate over Ilhan Omar’s post on House Foreign Affairs.

Joining her colleague Bernie Sanders in support for Ms Omar, she wrote: “.@IlhanMN is the first African-born congressmember and the only House Foreign Affairs Committee member who’s lived in a refugee camp. It’s shameful that Republicans are trying to remove her after smearing her for years.”

“We need her voice, values, and expertise on the Committee,” Ms Warren added.

Sanders: ‘Fair-minded’ Republicans must vote to save Omar

Wednesday 1 February 2023 21:09 , John Bowden

Bernie Sanders slammed the House GOP in a statement this week ahead of the effort by Republicans to punish Ilhan Omar and remove her from the Foreign Affairs panel.

The progressive senator, a political ally of Ms Omar, called the move “ugly” and “outrageous”.

“.@IlhanMN is once again facing ugly personal and political attacks with incredible courage and dignity. It is outrageous that the House leadership wants to boot her off the Foreign Affairs Committee. Fair minded Republicans must join Democrats in preventing that from happening,” wrote the senator.

Nancy Mace still opposes effort to remove Ilhan Omar

Wednesday 1 February 2023 20:10 , John Bowden

Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina said on Wednesday that she was still opposed to an effort to remove Rep Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

With her opposed to the idea, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy can only afford a few other defections from his side — more than that, and the vote will not pass.

McCarthy appears to pick up another vote to oust Ilhan Omar from committee

Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:50 , John Bowden

Rep Ken Buck appears to have flipped his position and plans to vote to remove Rep Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to Politico. The full House vote on Rep Omar is not expected to be held until Thursday.

Omar denounces ‘pathetic’ McCarthy ahead of vote

Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:25 , John Bowden

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar scorched Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Twitter ahead of Wednesay’s vote on a rule that would allow her to be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

In a tweet Tuesday evening, she wrote: “The fact that this has become a sole focus for @SpeakerMcCarthy that he is personally whipping votes for it is really pathetic. Not the debt ceiling or all the actual priorities a Speaker should be fighting to deal with and whip votes for,” before adding a shrugging emoji.

House to take rules vote Wednesday, full vote Thursday

Wednesday 1 February 2023 18:25 , John Bowden

The House is set to take a vote on a rule authorising the removal of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The only problem — Democrats haven’t officially named her to the committee yet.

As a result, the House GOP caucus is waiting until Thursday, when Ms Omar is officially seated, to attempt to officially remove her.

It’s still not totally clear if Mr McCarthy has the votes to strip Mr Omar of her committee membership, given the slim Republican majority in the lower chamber. However, at least one lawmaker who was on the fence about the vote has now indicated that she will side with GOP leadership.

Omar speaks on her identity being ‘weaponised’ by Donald Trump

Wednesday 1 February 2023 17:55 , John Bowden

In a 2020 sitdown with The Independent’s Richard Hall, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar discussed the unique experience of seeing her culture and ethnic background attacked on the national stage by Donald Trump.

“I happen to embody multiple marginal identities. I’m a woman, I’m black, I’m a refugee, an immigrant, a Muslim and I wear a hijab. And all of those are identities that have been vilified by the right... and weaponised by Donald Trump,” she said at the time.

“For me, that understanding allows me to be resolved in the ways in which I unapologetically show up, advocate for policies that make our country a more equitable society.”

Look back at the perspective shared by Ms Omar:

Ilhan Omar interview: Trump is a racist tyrant – but America is strong enough to survive his presidency

What did Rep Ilhan Omar say that made Republicans want to remove her from a committee?

Wednesday 1 February 2023 17:25 , John Bowden

House Republicans hope to remove Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from the House Foreign Affairs Committee as early as Wednesday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and many other Republicans, and even some Democrats, have said that her criticisms of Israel amount to antisemitism.

But what exactly did she say to warrant the anger of her Republican rivals?

Eric Garcia looks into it:

What did Ilhan Omar say that made Republicans want to remove her from a committee?

Why some Republicans are resistant to McCarthy’s bid to punish Ilhan Omar

Wednesday 1 February 2023 16:55 , John Bowden

Some members of Kevin McCarthy’s caucus may not be on board with the effort to remove Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Even some of those who agree that her words brought up antisemitic tropes — a notion with which she and others disagree — worry that the House may be on a path to making committee assignments a political battleground

“She has made antisemitic comments. I think those that's undisputable,” Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska told The Independent, adding that Congress previously didn’t remove members of Congress from committees until Ms Pelosi did so in the 117th Congress.

“But at some point, we got to say, let's stop it and let's shake hands and go back to when we've always done it,” he said.

Read on:

Why does Ilhan Omar attract so much Republican ire?

Why does Ilhan Omar attract so much Republican ire?

Wednesday 1 February 2023 15:45 , John Bowden

House Republicans are pushing forward to keep their promise to remove Representative Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but they might struggle to garner the votes necessary to remove her.

On Tuesday evening, the House Rules Committee convened to discuss the resolution to remove the Minnesota Democrat from the House Rules Foreign Affairs Committee. Republicans have accused Ms Omar of antisemitism for some of her criticism of Israel, which they say disqualifies her from serving on the committee.

Eric Garcia dives in to why one member of Congress from Minnesota has enraged the right so much:

Why does Ilhan Omar attract so much Republican ire?

Warren hosts progressive House members for dinner

Wednesday 1 February 2023 15:17 , John Bowden

Elizabeth Warren hosted members of the House’s left wing for dinner on Monday as the progressive left sees some of its greatest strength in the lower chamber in recent memory.

Among the guests were Reps Greg Casar, Summer Lee, Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar, who is facing an effort by the Republican House caucus to remove her from the Foreign Affairs committee today.

Old comments resurface of Marjorie Taylor Greene admitting animosity for Omar is about Muslim faith

Wednesday 1 February 2023 14:20 , John Bowden

As Republicans prepare to vote Tuesday to strip Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of her seat on the Foreign Affairs committee, an old clip of Marjorie Taylor Greene has resurfaced.

In the late 2021 interview, Ms Greene admits clearly that her animosity towards the Minnesota Democrat stems from her belief that Ms Omar represents “radical Islam”.

The belief behind the blatantly Islamophobic statement is one Ms Omar has accused many Republicans of harboring, and which she said in a CNN interview this week is behind the effort to oust her from Foreign Affairs.

Watch the moment below:

Omar says GOP effort is fueled by racism and Islamophobia

Wednesday 1 February 2023 13:40 , Megan Sheets

Ilhan Omar claims a Republican-led push to boot her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee is rooted in racism and Islamophobia and meant to appease bigots in the House GOP conference.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans have argued that Ms Omar should be removed because her criticism of the Israeli government amounts to antisemitism.

They pointed to a comment she made about Israel having “hypnotized” the world and a past accusation she made regarding pro-Israel lawmakers’ alleged financial motivations as evidence that she is unfit to serve on the committee.

But Ms Omar, who came to the US as a child refugee from Somalia and is one of just two Muslim women in Congress, said on Sunday that the House speaker’s actions are motivated by revenge and bigotry, during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union programme.

“It is politically motivated,” Ms Omar said. “In some cases, it’s motivated by the fact that many of these members don’t believe a Muslim, a refugee, an African should even be in Congress, let alone have the opportunity to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee.”

Read more from The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg:

Ilhan Omar says GOP wants her off Foreign Affairs panel because she’s Black, Muslim

GOP gears up to vote Ilhan Omar off House Foreign Affairs Committee

Wednesday 1 February 2023 13:19 , Megan Sheets

Newly empowered House Republicans are gearing up to vote on a resolution to remove Democratic Rep Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The push has been led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, citing Ms Omar’s critical comments about Israel.

The vote could come as early as Wednesday.

Read more from the Associated Press:

Republicans set to oust Rep. Omar from Foreign Affairs panel

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