House Will Vote on Removing Ilhan Omar From Foreign Affairs Committee

What’s happening: The House of Representatives is set to vote today on whether to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the Foreign Affairs Committee due to her previous antisemitic comments.

The details: The plan to oust Omar is backed by congressional Republicans, including Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and more than 2,000 rabbis who signed a letter supporting her removal from the committee. Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) proposed the resolution to the House Rules Committee to approve today’s vote, stating that her comments “have brought dishonor to the House of Representatives.” The resolution was approved in a vote of 9-4.

Her past remarks: Omar has compared the state of Israel to terrorist groups like the Taliban and Hamas and supported the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. The congresswoman has also perpetuated antisemitic tropes, such as claiming that Israel and America’s relationship is “all about the Benjamins” and that the Jewish country has “hypnotized” the world.

Why it matters: Omar’s comments about Israel and the Jewish people have raised concerns about how her biases may affect decisions on a global scale if she keeps her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. There’s also the possibility that the Republican-controlled legislature is now using its power to remove one of the more radical Democrats from the committee.