A tale of two congresswomen: Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), recently stripped of her congressional subcommittee duties for alleged remarks she made in 2018 and 2019, before she ran for Congress; and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), similarly admonished in 2019 for making anti-Semitic tweets while a congresswoman. Yet, Representative Omar not only keeps her House committee seat, but this past week, she gained the position of vice chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights.
This latest example of the Left’s double standards even drew conservative support, with 11 Republicans joining the House Democrats in a vote of 230-199 to remove Greene from her duties on the Budget Committee and the Education and Labor Committee. Fox News’s Pete Hegseth, a Minnesotan, told colleague Mark Steyn on Friday evening that Omar’s appointment on the Foreign Affairs Committee is the government’s stamp of approval of anti-Americanism. “The idea that Ilhan Omar is even on the foreign affairs, foreign relations committee, is absurd. Now she’s a vice-chair of a subcommittee…. This is the modern-day Democrat Party — anti-Americanism writ large.”
Addressing the stark contrast in outcomes for the two congresswomen, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement, “While Democrats pursue a resolution on Congresswoman Greene, they continue to do nothing about Democrats serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee who have spread anti-Semitic tropes, Democrats on the House Intelligence and Homeland Security Committee compromised by Chinese spies, or the Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee who advocated for violence against public servants.”
McCarthy’s references point to disturbing behaviors by Representative Omar; Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who reportedly had sexual relations with a Chinese operative; and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who called for more “unrest in the streets” at the height of the BLM riots during the summer of 2020. Amid the hypocrisy is the rise of the representative from Minnesota who consistently called for “the dismantling of systems of oppression wherever we find it” and for defunding the police.
Moreover, Omar’s 2019 comment, “some people did something,” to explain inaccurately why the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was formed after the 9/11 attacks, have recently resurfaced. These remarks remind us of how Omar diminished the tragedy that some call the worst terrorist attack in the history of the world. In a recent interview with MSNBC, Omar called for “dramatic reform of our democratic institutions, an end to the filibuster, the removal of barriers to voting in low-income communities and for people of color, and the end of the dominance of unchecked corporate power.” Coming from Omar, these far-left ideas aren’t at all shocking, but nevertheless they are a danger to the American way of life.
Announcing her new position, Omar, a prominent member of the progressive D.C. “Squad,” told reporters that “Upholding basic human rights around the world is a core priority for me and the Fifth District of Minnesota…. As someone who represents a large African diaspora community and is the first African-born immigrant to serve in Congress, I am particularly excited to play a leadership role in overseeing our international aid and foreign policy on the continent.”
Yet the massive threat surrounding Omar’s heading of foreign policy with nations such as Israel, a country she has repeatedly criticized, is deeply troubling. At one point, Omar accused her fellow members of Congress who support Israel as guilty of “dual loyalty.” She has denigrated Israel, stating it has “hypnotized the world,” and praised the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement against the Israeli government, all of which should raise significant concerns among delegates on both sides of the political aisle as well as all Americans.
The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV) has publicly renounced Omar’s new position. Said Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Israel regional vice president of the CJV, “This appointment is both risible and dangerous. Ilhan Omar’s long-standing hatred for Israel and contempt for Jews and for America make this a mockery of human rights advocacy,” as reported by Breitbart.
Former White House speechwriter Marc Thiessen said on Fox News that “the idea that Omar would be elevated to the vice chair position on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, which sets policy toward Israel, that Democrats would find that fit, is appalling.” Yet, even Democrats who might disagree with Omar’s hard-left agenda never would stand in opposition to her new appointment. At every turn, Democrats have refuted the parallels between Greene’s and Omar’s actions and the unfairness of their consequences or lack thereof.
The duplicity surrounding Greene’s removal and Omar’s promotion further cements the radical Left’s grip on government policy and standards. Americans must remain vigilant especially at the polls to remove these progressive threats from Congressional leadership.
