Washington, D.C. | February 2, 2023 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) strongly condemns the action taken by the House Republican Caucus to remove Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC). The vote, which lacked any legitimate justification, simultaneously robbed HFAC of a valuable voice for human rights while fueling the near constant hate and threats that Rep. Omar already receives. This partisan decision is particularly egregious as Rep. Omar was slated to become the first African-born ranking member of the Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights Subcommittee.
Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Omar has consistently centered human rights and democracy, using her position on HFAC to push for a U.S. foreign policy that prioritized partnerships with civil society and social movements. Rather than judge her qualifications, Speaker McCarthy decided to enact petty political revenge. His decision, and the House Republican Caucus’s vote, has nothing to do with antisemitism. If Speaker McCarthy truly cared about combating antisemitism he would condemn the members of his own party who promote and elevate dangerous, far right conspiracy theories,
At a moment in time when it is more important than ever to speak up for human rights, Members of Congress cannot be cowed or silenced by bad faith accusations of antisemitism. ADC will not be deterred and will always defend and uplift advocates for human rights in Palestine and across the globe.