By Congressman Markwayne Mullin
Before she even came to Congress, Rep. Omar has been reported as making anti-Semitic remarks about the Jewish people. Should Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Party continue to stand behind Rep. Omar and her offensive remarks?
Anti-Semitism is racism. It’s that simple. So if Rep. Omar’s comments are racist, why hasn’t Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leadership removed her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee yet? Why is she allowed to have access to top secret classified documents?
Every member of Congress takes an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Rep. Omar continues to act as though America’s enemies are her friends and America’s allies are her enemies.
Rep. Omar has plans to fundraise for a HAMAS-linked group this month, despite the fact that the U.S. State Department has officially recognized HAMAS as a ‘designated Foreign Terrorist Organization’ since 1997. Meanwhile, she appears to even doubt our ally Israel’s right to exist.
A letter to the editor of the Twin Cities’ Pioneer Press expresses a sentiment that I imagine many Americans stand behind: “I voted for Rep. Ilhan Omar. I am sorry I did…There is no place for racism in our Congress. I urge Rep. Omar to resign.” The difference being that Ms. Baker of St. Anthony Village actually cast a vote for her.
Democratic leadership planned to put a resolution on the House floor this week condemning anti-Semitism. Among concern from their own party that the resolution unfairly targeted Rep. Omar, Democratic leadership postponed the vote in order to make changes that broaden its scope. They have a chance to explicitly denounce her offensive comments. But they haven’t.
The halls of Congress have no place for racism. Every member of Congress is elected to represent an extremely diverse group of individuals from every race and every walk of life. That’s what makes the United States unique. House Democrats should rebuke Rep. Omar, remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee, and eliminate her ability to review top secret documents.
