John,
From the day she took office, Rep. Ilhan Omar has been the target of Islamophobic attacks by Republicans.
Unsurprisingly, she’s now facing another attack — with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy seeking to strip her of her position on the Foreign Affairs Committee as vengeance for what happened last Congress when Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar were stripped of committees in bipartisan votes for endangering the lives of their colleagues.
But a vote to remove Rep. Omar from her committees would require the approval of the full Congress — and it’s not clear whether McCarthy has the votes he needs.
So we’re asking: Will you sign our petition and urge your elected officials to reject any attempt by Republicans to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from her House Foreign Affairs Committee assignment? Now more than ever, Rep. Omar's independent voice on the Foreign Affairs committee is badly needed.
Sign the petition »
As the only member of Congress who has experienced what it’s like to live in a refugee camp and endure war as a civilian, Rep. Omar has sought to hold our government accountable for policies that undermine democracy, sovereignty, and peace. Her work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee has been about advancing a foreign policy based on international law, human rights, and diplomacy.
It’s the height of hypocrisy for Speaker McCarthy to try and remove Rep. Omar from this committee on the grounds of baseless allegations of “antisemitism” — all the while appointing right-wing extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene who deliver speeches at white nationalist conventions, and tweeting out anti-semitic conspiracy theories himself.
McCarthy is using his power to try to remove a Black Muslim woman from an influential committee because she threatens the warfare establishment.
But if he sets the precedent that Republicans can remove representatives from committees over policy disagreements, then our democracy will be even more imperiled.
House Republicans are expected to call a full floor vote as soon as this week to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee — but if all Democrats and just a handful of Republicans vote it down, we can keep an essential voice on a committee vital to international communities. Add your name and contact your member of Congress now and tell them we need Rep. Omar’s voice on the Foreign Affairs Committee:
Sign our petition »
In solidarity, always,
Team WFP
