GOP targets Ilhan Omar after Dems try to oust Marjorie Taylor Green
WASHINGTON – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., introduced Wednesday the House of Representatives would vote Thursday to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., of her assignments from House committees due to violent and racist rhetoric and perpetuation of unfounded QAnon conspiracy theories.
Greene “liked” a Facebook remark in January 2019 that mentioned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., must be taken out with a “bullet to the head.” In a video round that point, Greene mentioned Pelosi was “a traitor to our country,” saying it was “a crime punishable by death.” She additionally appreciated different feedback calling for violence in opposition to particular Democrats, together with that they be hanged. She outlined conspiracies akin to area lasers inflicting lethal wildfires in California. And she referred to as Parkland faculty capturing survivor David Hogg “#littleHitler.”
Democrats and a few Republicans say Greene, who has referred to as outstanding faculty shootings staged occasions, shouldn’t be allowed to maintain her submit on the House Education and Labor Committee and the Budget Committee.
In retaliation, House Republicans are searching for to take away Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from her House committee assignments.
House Republicans Brian Babin of Texas, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Jody Hice of Georgia, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Ronny Jackson of Texas — who, like Greene, additionally unfold misinformation about election fraud — sponsored a proposed modification to take away Omar from committee, first reported by FOX News.
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“Leftist Members of Congress have advocated for violence, anti-Semitism, anti-law enforcement, & other sentiments that have violated rules of decorum & principles of American decency,” Biggs tweeted Wednesday. “That’s why I’m calling for Rep Omar to be removed from her committee.”
Babin claims a number of of cases as proof for Omar’s elimination from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, together with her Feb. 2019 tweet “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” responding to a remark made by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about punishing Omar for being vital of Israel.
Omar’s tweet triggered swift backlash from each side of the aisle, with critics accusing her of calling on anti-Semitic stereotypes.
After the backlash, Omar apologized for her tweet. “Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” Omar tweeted. “My intention I never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole.”
Greene has said there’s an “Islamic invasion into our government offices right now” and that after the midterm elections “we saw so many Muslim elected … they want to put their hand on the Qur’an and be sworn in? No.”
Greene also said that Muslims do “not belong in our government.”
Omar is Muslim.
Jeremy Slevin, Omar’s senior communications director, tweeted about the GOP‘s plan to oust Omar Tuesday saying, “Responding to the Islamophobe in their caucus with…Islamophobia. Subtle!”
Greene has faced increasing criticism from members of both parties, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. R-Ky., who referred to her “looney lies” as a “cancer for the Republican Party” in a press release Monday. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who led Senate Republicans’ marketing campaign arm, advised reporters Tuesday, she was “nutty” and an “embarrassment to our occasion. There’s no place for her within the Republican Party, there ought to be no place.”
Hoyer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., met by phone Wednesday in a last effort to reach a compromise, but Hoyer, said in a statement Wednesday after his conversation with McCarthy there was “no different” to holding a vote on the House floor to remove Greene from her committees on Thursday. A key House panel is set to take up the motion spearheaded by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., Wednesday afternoon, clearing the way for the full House to vote.
Greene did not answer questions Wednesday from reporters as she left her office. House Republicans have a meeting Wednesday afternoon and Greene’s future within their caucus is likely to be discussed.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., introduced a resolution calling for Greene to be expelled from Congress, saying she advocated “extremism and sedition.”
However, doing so requires a two-thirds majority vote. Only five lawmakers have ever been expelled from the House, the most recent being Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, in 2002 after being convicted on 10 felony counts including bribery and racketeering. Censure, a lesser form of punishment, or removing members from committees only requires a simple majority.
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