House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) vows to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee when he becomes speaker of the House over her “antisemitic” remarks.
"I promised you last year that as a speaker she will no longer be on Foreign Affairs, and I’m keeping that promise,” McCarthy said while speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s 2022 leadership meeting in Las Vegas.
McCarthy also said that Omar’s criticism of him, calling him a “liar” and a “coward,” has also been a factor when deciding to remove her from her position.
“I remember what she said about me,” he said. “I remember what she said about Israel. I remember what she said about the [U.S.-Israel] relationship,” McCarthy said, as the crowd cheered in support of ousting the Squad member.
The Squad member has previously attacked parts of the pro-Israel lobby and at times seemingly invoked themes of Jewish control.
She was caught saying “[it was] all about the Benjamins" for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee” and "we have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,” in a tweet in which she compared Israel and the U.S. to the Taliban.
When Democrats had control of the House in 2021, they removed Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) from her committee after she publicly supported QAnon.
In response, McCarthy said that he would retaliate if he becomes elected speaker.
Last year, I promised that when I became Speaker, I would remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee based on her repeated anti-semitic and anti-American remarks.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 19, 2022
I'm keeping that promise. pic.twitter.com/04blBx3neD