Ilhan Omar voted out of Foreign Affairs Committee

Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar was voted out of the Foreign Affairs Committee by House Republicans. 

The vote was 218-211, with the reason for the vote being Omar’s past antisemitic tweets. 

The resolution was proposed by Republican Ohio Representative Max Miller, who said that Omar’s tweets disqualified her from the position in the Foreign Affairs Committee. 

In 2019, Omar issued an apology for her tweets, which caused Minority House leader Hakeem Jeffries to say the move to remove her was more revenge for previous Republican removals than as an act of accountability. 

In 2021, the previous Republican representatives barred from committees were Majorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar. The primary reason for this was their urging for political violence against other House members, and both Greene and Gosar having ties to white supremacist organizations. 

“Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy? Or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?” Omar said in reference to the Islamophobia and bigotry she has faced since taking office as an immigrant from Somalia.

Minority House Leader Jeffries said that he would appoint Omar to the House Budget Committee.