Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was ousted from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday in a party-line vote that saw all Republicans support removing the representative from her seat on the committee.
Before the vote, several allies of Omar spoke up in support of the Congresswoman, denouncing the move to take her off the committee.
House Republicans say they want her removed because of comments she made in the past that they say were critical of Israel and antisemitic.
Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips (D), who is Jewish, was among those to speak up, and he called out the hypocrisy of Republicans by pointing out some of the things GOP congress members have done that have gone unpunished in the party.
“She has never posted a video depicting herself decapitating and killing fellow members of Congress,” Phillips said from the house floor. “She doesn’t question whether a plane really smashed into the pentagon on 9/11. She does not wonder if school shootings in America are staged.”
Democrats removed the two Republicans responsible for the comments and actions last session, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) and Paul Gossar (AZ). Both have since been reappointed to committees after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted into his position.
Others to speak out against the removal of Omar was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY). AOC has been a constant supporter of Omar, as the two are both members of “The Squad.”
AOC called attention to discrimination against Muslim Americans in the US following the events of 9/11, saying that it is “disgusting” and that what Republicans are doing is an “extension of that legacy.”
She then said that the Republican party is being hypocritical by saying Omar has made anti-semitic remarks when one of their members has talked about “Jewish space lasers.”
“There is nothing consistent with the Republican party’s continued attack except racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body. I had a member of the Republican caucus threaten my life, and... the Republican caucus rewarded him with one of the most prestigious committee assignments in this Congress,” AOC said, referring to the animated video Gossar made and tweeted showing him decapitating her.
Despite Democrats speaking out against the vote, Omar has been removed from her seat. She has not yet commented on the decision.
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