House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Cal) on Saturday night told the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas that when he is elected Speaker of the House, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Min) would be ousted from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
McCarthy is expected to be the next speaker, depending on January 3 vote. However, given the GOP’s very small majority, he would have to earn every vote from his side of the aisle. Last week, the House Republican conference elected McCarthy as its leader over Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who is considered a right-wing “extremist,” by a vote of 188-31.
With 5 Congressional races still undecided, the GOP’s lead over the Democrats in the House is only 6 votes. Assuming the remaining races are split 3-5 in favor of the GOP, if only 8 pro-Biggs Republicans vote against McCarthy for Speaker, he won’t win the post.
So, keep that in mind when you read McCarthy’s tweet: “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 antisemitic and anti-American remarks. I’m keeping that promise.”
If you’re interested in Rep. Omar’s antisemitic history, I recommend CEO of the American Jewish Committee David Harris’s Newsweek article from July 2021: Ilhan Omar Has a Problem With Jews.
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.
I’m keeping that promise. pic.twitter.com/04blBx3neD
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 19, 2022
The RJC’s National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman and Executive Director Matt Brooks last week congratulated the GOP on flipping the US House of Representatives:
“The RJC is gratified to have played a significant role in this victory, executing decisive Jewish turnout efforts in key battleground districts in support of GOP candidates.
“According to exit polling, the GOP received 33% of the national Jewish vote – a historic achievement that further builds upon our efforts to move Jewish voters to the Republican Party – and notably, the GOP received a record-setting 45% of the Jewish vote in Florida.”
“We watch antisemitism grow, not just on our campuses, but we watched it grow in the halls of Congress,” McCarthy told the RJC conference Saturday night, adding regarding Rep. Omar: “I promised you last year that as speaker she will no longer be on Foreign Affairs, and I’m keeping that promise.”
Questionable grammar, but you get the point.
