UNITED STATES: The Minnesota representative, Ilhan Omar, who often makes headlines with her controversial statements against India, has been voted out of the powerful foreign affairs committee.
House voted to remove Ilhan Omar for her anti-Semitic comments
The decision was made by the Republican-majority House of Representatives after Omar’s past comments about Israel. On party lines, the House voted 218 to 211 to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Omar, who belongs to the Democratic Party Congress, is African-born, came to the US as a refugee from Somalia, became a member of Congress, and is the only single Muslim woman in the House.
Thus, the foreign affairs member brought this point to the table and said, “Is anyone surprised that they believe I am somehow unqualified to discuss American foreign policy or that they want to muzzle my strong voice? In all honesty, it is expected because power always pushes back when it is pushed.”
Ihan was named to the Africa subcommittee of the top foreign affairs panel. However, her statements are often regarded as anti-Semitic.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, “We simply don’t believe in international affairs, particularly the duty of that position globally given the comments you make. There is no need for Illhan Omar to work there. Going forward, every single member of Congress must be aware of their personal conduct.”
The 40-year-old is the third Muslim lawmaker in the US House of Representatives. Omar is from the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota. However, in the recent few years, she has engaged in anti-India tirades both inside and outside the House. She has also participated in important discussions about Israel and the Jewish lobby.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a media conference disclosed, “The way that we see this, it’s a political stunt, much like House Republicans’ unjust removal of other leading Democrats from key committees in recent weeks. It is a disservice to the American people.”
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