The House on Wednesday voted along party lines to move forward with GOP efforts to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee, even before the Minnesota Democrat has been named to the panel by Democrats.
House lawmakers approved a resolution to begin on debate on Omar's removal with a 218-209 vote, setting the stage for what is likely to be a contentious vote later this week. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had repeatedly vowed to strip the Minnesota Democrat of her committee assignments over her anti-Israel positions and accusations that Omar is antisemitic due to past comments.
218-209: House voted along party lines to move forward with efforts to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. House approved the rule for floor debate on resolutions removing the Minneapolis Congresswoman from that cmte & denouncing socialism. pic.twitter.com/DReJ61TRGs
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) February 1, 2023
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To be stripped of her assignments, the House must pass a full resolution supporting her removal. Republicans hold a 222-213 majority in the House, meaning they can only afford to lose four votes to pass the resolution without any Democrats. That could prove challenging for McCarthy, as some Democrats are reportedly lobbying GOP members on the Foreign Affairs panel to oppose her removal.