Republicans set to oust Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee

Washington: African-born Black lawmaker and Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is going to be ousted from the Foreign Affairs Committee by House Republicans. It is also being seen as payback for Democrats ousting far-right Republicans from panels for incendiary and violent remarks.

The move is over her critical remarks about Israel. Omar has already apologised for the statements and said she came to understand how they were viewed as antisemitic. The 40-year-old is a Somalian immigrant and Muslim.

In an interview given to CNN, Omar said the move against her is politically motivated by the fact that many of these members don’t believe a Muslim, a refugee, or an African should even be in Congress, let alone have the opportunity to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has already blocked two other Democrats - Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell - from rejoining the House Intelligence Committee after the GOP took control of the chamber in the new Congress. The resolution against Omar will be voted on as soon as Wednesday. The resolution was proposed by Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a former official in the Trump administration. It said that her comments brought dishonour to the House of Representatives.

Rep. James McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, said the move against Omar is about vengeance, spite, and politics. He argued that Democrats had removed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., for remarks that were far more extreme and violent against fellow lawmakers than those Omar had made and apologised for.