House Republicans vote to suspend Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has been kicked out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a move Democrats see as retaliation, but Republicans say it goes beyond controversial past comments.

The House voted along party lines 218-211 to remove Omar from the committee.

Omar said the move to oust her was an attack on Muslim Americans, citing the anti-Barack Obama birther movement fueled in part by Donald Trump.

“I’m Muslim. I’m an immigrant. And interestingly from Africa,” she said.

Omar’s district includes parts of the city of Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs.

She added: “I am American. An American sent here by her constituents to represent her in Congress.”

Omar drew ire and criticism from fellow Democrats in 2019 when she tweeted, referring to Jewish organizations committed to supporting Israel: “It’s all about the Benjamins, honey.” The Democratic leadership condemned the comments and later apologized.

However, Republicans said Omar has a history of anti-Semitic comments as she has criticized Israel’s government.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that Omar “definitely made mistakes. She used anti-Semitic language that was clearly and unequivocally condemned by Democrats in the House of Representatives. But that happened four years ago.” He called the attempt to take her away “political revenge”. When Democrats held a majority in the House of Representatives, they later voted to remove Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar from their committees. Republicans sent her back to committee work when they won the majority.

However, the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), denied that the move was “hat for a bite” and said that “we are not removing them from other committees.” We just don’t think that when it comes to foreign affairs, especially the responsibility of that position, around the world with the comments that you make, you shouldn’t serve there.