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.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has pledged to force a vote as soon as Wednesday 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.
Mr McCarthy and other Republicans have claimed that Ms Omar should lose her seat on the panel due to her criticism of the Israeli government, 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.”
Omar says GOP effort is fueled by racism and Islamophobia
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:
GOP gears up to vote Ilhan Omar off House Foreign Affairs Committee
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:
Source: independent.co.uk