The Scoop

Kevin McCarthy Aims To Remove Ilhan Omar From Foreign Affairs Committee Over ‘Antisemitic, Anti-American’ Comments

By • June 15, 2021 2:36 pm

If the Republicans retake the House next term, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has promised to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her committee assignment.

During a Fox News interview on Tuesday morning, McCarthy criticized Omar, saying that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) should hold Omar responsible for her remarks and remove the Minnesota congressman from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. McCarthy is proposing a House resolution to do precisely that.

The resolution is certain to fail, however, as Democratic leaders have worked to put out the blaze set last week when Omar urged for equal justice for “crimes against humanity” done by “the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.” Pelosi stood firm in her unwillingness to disavow the comment.

“I will promise you this: If we are fortunate enough to have the majority, Omar would not be serving on Foreign Affairs, or anybody that has an anti-Semitic, anti-American view. That is not productive and that is not right,” McCarthy stated.

Traditionally, each House caucus has been responsible for policing its own members, with minimal influence from the opposing side other than public criticism. When Democrats stripped Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments earlier this year, they broke an unwritten rule. In the vote, eleven Republicans voted with the Democratic majority.

After facing bipartisan outrage for her comment, Omar issued a statement on Thursday clarifying that she was not intending to make a “moral comparison between Hamas and the Taliban and the United States and Israel.” Omar said that she was simply referring to “ongoing International Criminal Court investigations,” but did not clarify.

Pelosi and other top Democrats complimented her for the “clarification” and said there will be no disciplinary action taken against her by the Democratic caucus.

“Legitimate criticism of the policies of both the United States and Israel is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate, and indeed, such criticism is essential to the strength and health of our democracies. But drawing false equivalencies between democracies like the U.S. and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban foments prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all,” the groups statement.

“We welcome the clarification by Congresswoman Omar that there is no more equivalency between the U.S. and Israel and Hamas and the Taliban,” they also shared.

A dozen House Democrats issued a statement on Wednesday night criticizing Omar for her statements.

“Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided. Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice.” they stated.

“The United States and Israel are imperfect, and like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalence give cover to terrorist groups. We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the U.S. and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.” they continued.

Cameron Shizznit


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