After a heated and partisan debate on the House floor Thursday, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was removed from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a vote of 218 to 211, with one voting present.
Omar, one of three Muslims serving in Congress, was ousted after Republicans took issue with her past criticisms of Israel. In 2019, as a freshman, she apologized for comments about the pro-Israel lobby buying lawmakers’ support. She later accused Israel and Hamas of human rights abuses, sharing that she spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken about pushing for an investigation.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy had vowed last year to remove Democrats from key committee assignments if Republicans won back their majority. Omar joins Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff were officially denied seats on the House Intelligence Committee earlier this month. Swalwell has said McCarthy’s actions to remove Democrats from key committees is an act of “political vengeance.”
Before the vote, Omar addressed Republicans pushing for her removal. “No member of Congress should be removed from the committee because of accusations of undermining a relationship with a foreign country. Members must maintain their independence on policy issues.”
US treats Africa as a threat that needed to be contained: Ilhan Omar
