House of Representatives Passes Resolution Condemning Rep. Ilhan Omar and Removing Her from Foreign Affairs Committee

On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted 218 to 211 along mostly partisan lines to pass a resolution condemning Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for her past antisemitic comments and removing her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had initially faced a handful of GOP defections, but he and his team were able to whip GOP members back in line.

All 211 Democrats unified behind Omar, who gave an emotional and defiant floor speech before the vote that left many of her colleagues in tears. In her speech, Omar questioned what opinions people are allowed to have in order to be counted as Americans. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, a senior member of the Ethics Committee, voted present.

The resolution was the latest skirmish in a long-running partisan battle over committee assignments. McCarthy had vowed to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the resolution was a way to do so without violating House rules.

Omar has been a vocal critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and has been accused of making antisemitic comments in the past. The resolution condemned her past statements and barred her from serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The vote has been seen as a victory for McCarthy and the Republicans, who were able to get their members to back the resolution despite initial defections. It remains to be seen how the resolution will affect Omar’s standing in the House and her ability to speak out on issues she cares about.