House Republicans are pushing forward to keep their promise to remove Representative Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but they might struggle to garner the votes necessary to remove her.
On Tuesday evening, the House Rules Committee convened to discuss the resolution to remove the Minnesota Democrat from the House Rules Foreign Affairs Committee. Republicans have accused Ms Omar of antisemitism for her criticism of Israel, which they say disqualifies her from serving on the committee.
But Democrats see something more sinister at hand in trying to throw Ms Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress and a former refugee from Somalia, off the committee.
The criticism for Ms Omar began in 2019, shortly after her swearing in. After then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy led the charge to remove then-Representative Steve King of Iowa from his committees for racist remarks, he said he wanted to take measures to sanction Ms Omar and Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan for their criticisms of Israel.
In response, Ms Omar tweeted that "It's all about the Benjamins baby".
Republicans and even some Democrats criticised her remarks as antisemitic as they bore resemblance to the myths of Jewish people using money to control or influence governments.
Ms Omar later apologised and the House passed a resolution condemning antisemitism and Islamophobia "as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contrary to the values and aspirations of the United States."
Still, many Republicans believe that her comments are still antisemitic and disqualifying.
"I just think the antisemitic comments have been made in the past and their position, what she said about Israel," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas told The Independent. "The Foreign Affairs Committees is very, its bipartisan pro-Israel."
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Keep a civil tongue.