House Republican leaders are working to lock down the votes to remove Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from the Foreign Affairs Committee after several members of their conference signaled resistance to the move.
One of those Republicans, Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, said on Tuesday that she may be willing to back a resolution to oust Omar from the committee if leaders agree to include a due process provision that would allow Omar – and other members in the future – to appeal the decision to the House Ethics Committee. That is now something that leaders are weighing, according to two sources.
Such a compromise could prove to be a sweet spot for GOP leaders and a handful of Republican members who remain on the fence about a vote to oust Omar, who has been accused by some members of making antisemitic remarks in the past. Omar apologized in 2019 for her remarks, but has she has since defended some of her criticisms of Israel and some of its American allies.
In an interview after the GOP conference meeting, Spartz told CNN, “I think it will include a due process,” but she also noted that she had not seen a final resolution.
“I think it is important for us to provide those options,” Spartz said.
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina told CNN after conference that she too heard there could be a due process provision included in the resolution, but she suggested she needed to see the resolution.
“Here’s the thing. This has never been done before until Democrats did it to Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Mace said. “Typically it’s the conference or the steering committee of each conference … who choose what members go on what committees. This is not a precedent we should be setting at all.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed last year that if Republicans won back the House majority, he would…
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