Democracy Dies in Darkness

Rep. Ilhan Omar kicked off committee after party-line vote in House

The vote came after a heated debate in which Omar’s Democratic colleagues rallied around her in defense

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Updated February 2, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EST|Published February 2, 2023 at 8:54 a.m. EST
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on a party-line vote on Thursday. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was kicked off the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a party-line vote that followed a contentious debate on the House floor Thursday morning that included yelling and Omar defending herself, on the verge of tears.

House Republicans had set their sights on removing Omar after she had made what Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) recently described as “repeated antisemitic and anti-American remarks” throughout her time as a member of the House. The resolution passed 218-211 on party lines, with only Republican Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), voting present. He cast a similar vote when Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) was removed from his committee under Democratic leadership, saying then that his service on the House Ethics Committee could pose a conflict of interest.