Should Representative Ilhan Omar be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee?
This resolution seeks to remove Ilhan Omar from the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which has jurisdiction over bills and investigations regarding international security and foreign relations.
Sponsor: Rep. Max L. Miller (Republican, Ohio, District 7)
View full bill text ➔
How do you feel?
Oppose
Support
Opponents say
• "I am Muslim. I am an immigrant and, interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? 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? Representation matters. Continuing to expand our ideas of who is American and who can partake in the American experience is a good thing. There is an idea out there that I do not have objective decision-making because of who I am, where I come from, and my perspective, but I reject that. We all inject our perspectives, points of view, lived experiences, and voices of our constituents. That is what democracy is about." Source: Rep. Ilhan Omar (Democrat, Minnesota, District 5)
• "One of the things we should talk about here is…the targeting and racism against Muslim Americans throughout the United States of America and this is an extension of that legacy. There is nothing consistent with the Republican's continued attack except for the racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body." Source: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat, New York, District 14)
Proponents say
• "Foreign Affairs Committee Members are regarded as credible emissaries of American foreign policy…Their words have significant weight in guiding our relations with other countries and are relied upon by world leaders, most importantly our allies such as Israel. Congresswoman Omar has attempted to undermine the relationship between the United States and Israel, one of the most important strategic alliances we have. She has disqualified herself from serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee." Source: Rep. Max Miller (Republican, Ohio, District 7)
• "In 2019, Ms. Omar drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for tweeting that certain pro-Israel groups were ‘all about the Benjamins, baby,’ appearing to refer to hundred-dollar bills in what was seen as invoking an antisemitic trope about Jews and money. She later apologized for the comment. Two years later, Ms. Omar seemingly equated "atrocities" carried out by the U.S. military to those committed by terrorist groups like the Taliban and Hamas; she later said she had not meant to compare them." Source: The New York Times
