Republican House leaders are calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to denounce Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement after she was appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“I finally have committee assignments and I am excited. 1st choice—House Foreign Affairs Committee: The Foreign Affairs Committee oversees all foreign assistance, national security affecting the country’s foreign policy, treaties, peacekeeping and war powers,” Omar tweeted Thursday.
In a series of tweets, Omar claimed that she plans to use the “committee’s human rights jurisdiction to hold the president accountable for deaths in detention centers on his watch.”
“As someone who has seen firsthand the havoc wreaked by war, I am proud to serve on the committee that is responsible for overseeing our country’s—and this president’s—actions abroad,” she added.
I finally have committee assignments and I am excited 🤗
1st choice- House Foreign Affairs Committee:
The Foreign Affairs Committee oversees all foreign assistance, national security affecting the country’s foreign policy, treaties, peacekeeping and war powers.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 17, 2019
The Minnesota Sun has covered Omar’s past anti-Semitic comments extensively, most recently reporting on her opposition to a bill that would allow state and local governments to end contracts with companies that support BDS. In a Thursday statement released shortly after Omar’s announcement, House GOP leaders called on Pelosi and her colleagues to “denounce” Omar’s “previous comments attacking Israel.”
“Nancy Pelosi said in 2017 that Congress ‘must’ oppose the BDS movement against Israel. Chuck Schumer went event further, calling BDS ‘anti-Semitism’ and ‘profoundly biased,'” Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) said. “I would love to know what changed, because Democratic leaders just promoted a pro-BDS Democrat to a key committee that deals with the State of Israel.”
“Anti-Semitism has no place in Congress and certainly not on the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” he added.
Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA-01) called it “disgraceful” that Pelosi and her Democratic majority “gave a coveted seat on the House Foreign Relations Committee to a member who has a documented history of making anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks.”
“Rather than standing up against the disturbing rise of anti-Semitic rhetoric on the left, House Democrats have now just endorsed that ideology,” Scalise said. “House Democrats need to address why they are endorsing these views by rewarding Rep. Omar with this important committee seat.”
Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY-At Large) urged Democratic leadership to “immediately condemn Rep. Omar’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israel views.”
“Anti-Semitism can never be allowed to stand, in any form or forum,” she continued. “It is shameful for it to be ignored by the Democrat leadership in the House.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ilhan Omar” by Ilhan Omar.
Photo “Nancy Pelosi” by Nancy Pelosi.
