WASHINGTON – While Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made it a priority to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over her past statements on Israel, doing so might be harder than he thought.
McCarthy wants to hold a vote in the U.S. House on Omar’s removal next week but has declined to say whether he has the votes in a narrowly divided chamber.
Two moderate GOP House members – Reps. Victoria Spartz, R-Indiana, and Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina – have already said they will not vote to eject Omar, D-5th District. Meanwhile House Democrats are working to keep their caucus behind Omar, a progressive member of the “Squad” who has angered some Jewish lawmakers by suggesting nearly four years ago that pro-Israel advocates had “allegiance” to Israel.
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-3rd District, the first Jewish Minnesotan elected to the U.S. House, has “had some conversations and some calls” with fellow Jewish House Democrats to lobby on Omar’s behalf.
“I think it’s fair to say that many here had concerns about language she has used that has been offensive,” Phillips said Wednesday. “But she’s apologized.”
Phillips said he has disagreed with Omar on “a number of policy issues,” including Israel, but believes the Foreign Affairs Committee members should represent a variety of positions to be able to have healthy debates over foreign policy.
House Democrats are also reaching out to other moderate Republicans, including Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
Phillips said “a significant number of Republicans” have concerns about voting on a resolution that would remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.
“My belief is that it won’t come to the floor because the votes aren’t there,” Phillips said.
With one GOP lawmaker recovering from a fall from a ladder, McCarthy can only lose three votes if he wants the resolution sanctioning Omar to pass.
McCarthy on Wednesday kept his promise to remove Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both Californians, from seats on the House Intelligence Committee. McCarthy has accused Schiff of lying about former President Trump’s ties to Russia and says Swalwell is a “security risk” because of his association with a suspected Chinese spy who raised money for his campaign nearly a decade ago.
McCarthy could punish the California Democrats because the intelligence panel is a “select” committee whose members are chosen by leadership.
But a vote of the full U.S. House is needed to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, a “standing” committee with authority to produce legislation.
During a press conference on Wednesday with Schiff and Swalwell, Omar said McCarthy’s moves are “not only a political stunt, but a blow to the integrity of our democratic institution and national security.”
McCarthy said he wants to oust Omar because nearly four years ago she suggested that pro-Israel advocates had “allegiance” to Israel. He said Omar’s “anti-Israel” position precluded her from being on a panel with jurisdiction over U.S. foreign policy.
But McCarthy has also said he wanted to oust Democrats from panels because former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, successfully stripped Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, and Paul Gosar, R-Arizona, of their committee jobs.
Greene caused an uproar for her support of online comments encouraging violence against Democratic officials. Gosar was sanctioned by Pelosi for posting a violent animated video on his social media that showed him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and attacking President Biden.
Omar said McCarthy’s actions were simply retaliations for the removal of Greene and Gosar from committees in the last Congress.
“It’s about revenge,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mace, the South Carolina Republican, said McCarthy had the authority to oust Schiff and Swalwell, “but Omar’s situation is different.”
She said Republicans who were outraged when Pelosi ousted Greene and Gosar but are now demanding the removal of Omar from a committee “are not consistent.”
Mace also said “a handful” of Republicans share her concerns.
Omar lauded the “courageous Republicans,” like Mace, who have objected to McCarthy’s effort. A refugee of Somalia’s civil war, Omar would be the top Democrat on a Foreign Affairs subcommittee with jurisdiction over Africa and global health and human rights.
In her defense, some Democrats say Omar’s background makes her a perfect fit for a panel that works on foreign policy.
“She has lived through the devastating impacts of war,” Democratic Sen. Tina Smith tweeted Wednesday. “Her experience is important, her voice is powerful and she’s a valued member of Congress. The disrespect of McCarthy and his extremist supporters for Rep. Omar is obvious and shameful.”
The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee is meeting this week to work on committee assignments. Omar, who had a seat on the House Education and Labor Committee as well as a seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee has asked for an additional assignment – on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
That would not be a bad fallback position if she does lose her job on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep Omar was condemned for her outrageous statements on Israel. That is reason enough to be booted from Foreign Affairs Committee.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t members of Congress owe their allegiance to the United States? Have the globalists so infected our political process that support for a foreign state takes precedence over that duty of allegiance?
What do you think “America First” meant? Yes there is a major issue with Globalists, from both parties!
So Omar’s lack of fealty to Israel shouldn’t matter to you, should it?
You may hold the record for the shortest elapsed time for a self-contradiction.
“What do you think “America First” meant?”
Easy question:
“What did the America First Committee believe in?
The AFC argued that no foreign power could successfully attack a strongly defended United States, that a British defeat by Nazi Germany would not imperil American national security, and that giving military aid to Britain would risk dragging the United States into the war”
Didn’t work then, won’t work now.
It is irresistible to note that the historically ignorant Trump picks a slogan of a failed idea from 80 years ago and his historically ignorant followers fall right in lock step like Lindbergh’s did. Including an antisemitic similarity:
On September 11, 1941, at an America First speech in Des Moines, Iowa, Lindbergh identified the “the British, the Jewish, and the Roosevelt administration” as “war agitators” who had used “misinformation” and “propaganda” to mislead and frighten the American public.”
We do know of two differences too: Lindbergh admitted the errors of his ways and did something we have never seen from Trump: Physical courage:
“That legal distinction (no longer a commissioned officer) was largely ignored once he reached the front lines in New Guinea. As a “technician” and later as an “observer,” Lindbergh flew 50 combat missions—most of them in the cockpit of a P-38 Lightning—strafing and bombing enemy ground and naval targets. He was also credited with shooting down a Japanese “Sonia” attack aircraft.”
Lots of valid criticism of McCarthy and blind support of a foreign state know for extremely violent policy toward a large segment of their own population.
Two additional points:
1. I still don’t understand the controversy of Omar calling out AIPAC for being all about the money. There is no controversy.
Per the home page of their own website in an ENORMOUS FONT:
“The AIPAC PAC has delivered more money directly to candidates than any other PAC in America.”
https://www.aipacpac.org/
(Why can AIPAC boast about their organization being all about money, but nobody else is allowed to repeat it?)
2. The USA does not yet have Universal Healthcare.
Israel DOES have Universal Healthcare.
Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid over the last 75 years.
(Why are we giving away money to a country that has a better public welfare structure than we do?)
It is not a committee that means much to the people of Minneapolis. Foreign policy should be set by presidents, not back bench junior congress people.
By removing senior members of the Select Committee on Intelligence for no good reason whatever, this terrible new politically-compromised “speaker” has merely sown the whirlwind. The next Dem speaker will remove any senior Repub members they dislike, and so on, ad infinitum. And by not objecting to McCarthy’s unjustifiable tactic, the Repub members of the Committee have endorsed it, ensuring their risk of future removal.
“Conservatism” has reached its final end-point: political nihilism.
Elections have consequences. She is not entitled to that position, nor is any individual from either party.
It’s a non story, move on.
Elections have consequences, and, as much as you may not like it, one of the consequences of the last election was that Ilhan Omar – the Islamic Somali woman – was returned to the House of Representatives. She has as much right to sit on that committee as any other member of Congress.
Or is it a “non story” because it makes Speaker McCarthy look like a weak-kneed toady to the extremists in his caucus and it makes Republicans uncomfortable to have to confront that fact?
Not only is McCarthy incredibly weak, he is also a LLOONNGG ways away from being any kind of critical thinker. Which was shown over and over in the Speaker vote:
“I need this in the next 60 minutes, who cares about the next 2 years, I’ll give you anything”
It should not be a controversial subject for a QANON supporter to be held at arm’s length from a legislative role of any significance. For crying out loud, these folks follow a fictional character “Q” made up / stolen by a guy in the Philippines as a prank on his Daddy’s website gone way out of control. Greene got her just deserts from Pelosi.
Or a congressman stupid enough to create a cartoon of him killing another member of congress. And Gosar got his just deserts from Pelosi.
Of course, McCarthy puts on his Pelosi high heels and wants to show his equivalence to her and picks 3 to cut off at the knees for no more reason than Pelosi did it to 2 and he could do it 33% more.
When McCarthy soon enters his next phase in the minority he better be ready to have a lot of time on his hands because he won’t be on any committees if Speaker McCarthy logic is applied. Of course, that is most likely 2 years away and McCarthy probably can’t even scrawl 2025 on a piece of paper, much less visualize it.
While I’m not a big fan of McCarthy, he hasn’t tried bribing everyone with our tax dollars yet, that is a positive change from Pelosi. Speaker Pelosi used taxpayer money like lollipops to children (very similar) to get what she wanted. Thusly you have multiple omnibus bills, no one read and loaded with PORK. Yep, that is leadership alright.
While I’m not a big fan of Pelosi, she never tried bribing everyone with procedural concessions and committee assignments, that is a negative change under McCarthy. Speaker McCarthy used concessions that neuter the office of the Speaker like lollipops to children (very similar) to get what he wanted. Thusly you have extremist fanatics in charge of the House of Representatives with no intention to do anything but engage in political theater for the Republican base. Yep, that is leadership alright.
Much better to be on the Pelosi Pork Payout program than mere positions on committees. Hilariously the payouts were considered by Lefties to be “holding the House together”…… Ok…
The disappointment with repubs such as Smith, is they can only see the misinformation reported by Fox, which is usually false while their hate for Dems blinds them to truth.
“Greene caused an uproar for her support of online comments encouraging violence against Democratic officials. Gosar was sanctioned by Pelosi for posting a violent animated video on his social media that showed him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and attacking President Biden.”
These were valid reasons to remove these two repubs. Omar, criticizing Israel’s behavior was much the same for many of us. Under Netanyahu, Israel has become not only more brutal towards Arabs, but he’s become far more authoritarian.
Hilariously, appropriating money is a key constitutional function of the House of Representatives. The appropriations are voted on by democratically elected members of Congress, representing their constituents. If you don’t like it, it’s your right to complain (even if the privilege would seem to be abused), but the remedy is at the ballot box. Every nickel in the federal budget is there because someone wanted it there, and their representative – wisely or not – sought to keep it there.
Members of Congress are supposed to represent their districts, not follow the dictate of what national politicians and talking heads on the TeeVee tell them. These endless kvetchings about “pork” put me that Gerald Ford, when he was in Congress, said that he defined government waste as any expenditure of federal money outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“Much better to be on the Pelosi Pork Payout program”
Ahh, for the good old days. The Pelosi Pork Payout Program got lots of money to regular constituent needs at the same time of significant deficit reductions from the Trump Taxcut Trickledown Tactics program.
While Rep Omar is not entitled to the position,neither is Speaker McCarthy entitled to remove her. So the question is: who can whip the votes? Will Rep Emmer step up & get this done for his boss? Or has Rep Omar convinced enough Repubs she’s suited to the position?
Interesting that Rep Greene from Georgia is getting her committee assignments back although she in the recent past suggested that Jewish space lasers were causing forest fires in California?
News to me, Kevin: Ilhan Omar is the problem that needs to be addressed? Not the price of eggs? Not the flames and rain erupting everywhere from climate extremes? Not the treasonous white grievance simmering in the backwoods of states like Minnesota and Wisconsin? This is news to me.
But you learned revenge at the foot of the master. Let’s see what that knowledge gets you, when all is said and done.
We need to understand that McCarthy and the Rs are entering state of panic: Inflations is easing, a recession is less likely and they are not happy about it and not sure of their next step. Although, stopping the debt ceiling increase and ruining the economy may get things back to where they want to be: BAD.
Got a 401k or other market based retirement account? Matt Gaetz is your new plan manager.
It’s amusing that Speaker McCarthy is, again, choosing a battle that demonstrates his weakness. If he fails to remove Rep Omar, how long until the freedom caucus forces him out? It only takes one Rep to call for a vote…
Even more politically idiotic, he has now hardened the entire Dem party against him with these wholly unjustified and preposterous Select Committee removals, meaning Dems will never, ever vote to sustain him in the position when the Gang of 20 Freedom Fighters come to depose him later this year.
Let me review the facts. American Jews are loyal to Israel. Does anyone question that? They should be – Israel was established to provide a homeland for Jews who survived the Holocaust. The current issue is how Israel treats people who live in the Israel and the occupied territories.
One example – in the recent conflict, Israel bombed residential neighborhoods in the middle of the night without, killing scores of women and children. Israel also bombed buildings housing the media, but gave them early warning to avoid injuries and fatalities.
If you truly want peace and tranquility, you do not kill the children if your opponent. There is no parent in the world that accept that.
Israel is currently increasing attacks and taking Palestinian land to house Jewish settlers. Their new ultra conservative head of security has expressed bigotry and threats of violence. Knowing these things many Americans including Jews are critical of Netanyahu, who like Trump is trying to dodge criminal charges.
It is an ugly situation and we all need to favor diplomacy to achieve peaceful coexistence. We did so with the Soviet Union, which had enough nuclear weapons to vaporize us. We should demand the same.
Exactly!
Imagine a basketball game between Israel and Palestine. The US provide the referees and they all come out wearing yarmulkes.
Maybe we have a credibility problem as a fair broker on the road to peace?
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Pelosi started this throwing folks off committees and why shouldn’t McCarthy follow suit? Pelosi threw off Jim Jordan from January 6th committee and Majorie Greene from education committee. Hell, even CNN questioned Pelosi about starting this precedent, she mumbled some lame excuse.
Hell, Gym Jordan was a peripheral actor in the January 6 frolic. Why would he be on the committee investigating it (hint: witnesses are never supposed to be the investigators)?
Hell, Marjorie Greene has a history of violent, anti-Semitic comments. I don’t recall Republicans crying too hard when she was left off the committees (yes, they could have objected). Now, of course, The One Born of Heaven thinks she might make a good Vice Presidential candidate.
Hell, all you’re saying is that this is payback. There is no principle at work here beyond getting back at the libs.
Pity the poor House Rs. They are about to get their rears handed to them by investigating stuff that will just result in them looking like incompents if not criminals:
The “Weaponizing the Government Committee” will find that Barr & Trump are the “Exhibit A” primary culprits, especially through the Durham committee.
The “Biden Crime Family” Committee will find nothing linking the President and Hunter Biden will exit a sympathetic figure.
By the time this is over McCarthy will sorely miss not having left Schiff on the intelligence committee instead of his new role on the Oversight Committee where he will have great fun throwing bricks at the dimwitted James Comer…
The story that broke last week of Barr and Durham actually weaponizing the Justice Department is actual “weaponization of the Justice Dept. Those two flying around the world to find something, anything, to appease their boss and to discredit the thoroughly justified Russia investigation(s), and put a thumb on the IG report and actually finding via Italy that Trump committed financial crimes…you can’t make it up.
Yet another reminder that every GOP accusation and insinuation is projection and admission. Always, every single time.
And now we better put our Right Wing friends on a suicide watch as Hunter Biden hires a lawyer to make the laptop inadmissible within their investigation.
I’m a bit surprised MinnPost didn’t pick this one up, but there was a thoughtful, appreciative column by Peter Beinart in Monday’s NY Times that discussed Rep. Omar’s tenure on the Foreign Affairs Committee:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/opinion/when-ilhan-omar-asks-questions-her-colleagues-should-listen.html?searchResultPosition=1