A resolution excluding Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the Foreign Affairs Committee was approved by the House on Thursday.
Why it matters: The vote is the most recent retaliation in an increasing politicized game of cat-and-mouse over committee assignments, which members of the House from both parties have argued should stop.
- Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) were expelled from their committees, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) promised in 2021 to revenge against Democrats.
- Last week, McCarthy also prevented Representatives Adam Schiff of California and Eric Swalwell of California from continuing to serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
- Where she will stand up for Democratic principles in the face of right-wing extremism, stated Jeffries in a tweet.
- Omar stated on Thursday in the House: "Who gets to call themselves an American is the topic of today's argument. What viewpoints are allowed and required for us to be considered Americans is the topic of this dispute."
- "I follow Islam. I am an outsider. Is anyone else shocked that I'm a target? Anyone shocked that I'm not considered qualified to discuss American foreign policy? "She spoke.
- Omar said, "Frankly, it is anticipated."
By the numbers : Along party lines, the measure was approved 218 to 211. It lists six remarks Omar made between 2019 and 2021 concerning Israel, pro-Israel organizations, and 9/11 that were denounced as antisemitic by MPs from both parties.
- The Ethics Committee member Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) cast a present vote.
- Omar earlier expressed regret for tweets she had made on Israel in response to criticism from both sides of the political aisle, stating she was "grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are teaching [her] on the sad history of anti-Semitic tropes."
What they're saying : Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who was elected in 2018 alongside Omar, said: "This is about targeting women of color in the United States of America."
- "Where are the free speech fighters today?" said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Thursday. The Americans can see through the hypocrisy.
- She said, "You are revealing who you are all truly are." "I am confident that Congresswoman Omar won't be silenced."
McCarthy argued Thursday that the dismissal of Omar wasn't "tit-for-tat."
- We don't want to remove her from other committees; we simply don't think she belongs there when it comes to international matters, he added.
- If it had been tit-for-tat, he said, "we would've chosen people, removed them from all committees, and said nothing about it."
How it happened : McCarthy won the support he needed by committing to work over the next 30 days on establishing a procedure that would call for the Ethics Committee to approve any attempts by one party to remove committee members from another party.
- That would raise the bar for such motions to get onto the House floor by requiring at least one Democrat on the equally divided panel to favor removal.
- Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) cast yes votes after getting McCarthy's promise to change the procedure to make removals harder in the future.
- Democrats unified against the resolution on Thursday, despite several of them concurrently denouncing Omar for her comments.