{"id":25261,"date":"2021-02-03T19:06:54","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T19:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=158131"},"modified":"2021-02-03T19:06:54","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T19:06:54","slug":"a-desperate-smear-ilhan-omar-slams-gop-over-attempt-to-distract-from-bigotry-of-marjorie-taylor-greene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/02\/03\/a-desperate-smear-ilhan-omar-slams-gop-over-attempt-to-distract-from-bigotry-of-marjorie-taylor-greene\/","title":{"rendered":"‘A Desperate Smear’: Ilhan Omar Slams GOP Over Attempt to Distract From Bigotry of Marjorie Taylor Greene"},"content":{"rendered":"
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Wednesday forcefully denounced House Republicans’ effort to strip her of committee assignments as part of a bigoted smear campaign aimed at distracting attention from GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who Democrats are attempting to remove from congressional panels for promoting violence<\/a> against lawmakers and peddling vile conspiracy theories<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It’s time to stop whitewashing the actions of the violent conspiracy theorists, who pose a direct and immediate threat to their fellow Members of Congress and our most fundamental democratic processes.” “Let’s be clear: this is a desperate smear rooted in racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia,” Omar said in a statement<\/a> responding to an amendment by House Republicans, which seeks to replace Greene’s name with Omar’s<\/a> in the Democratic resolution calling for removal of the freshman Georgia Republican from the budget and education committees.<\/p>\n Led by Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) and co-sponsored<\/a> by Republican Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Ronny Jackson (Texas), Jody Hice (Ga.), and Jeff Duncan (S.C.), the GOP amendment accuses Omar of making “anti-Semitic comments<\/a>“\u2014alluding to a 2019 tweet in which the Minnesota Democrat said unwavering support for Israel in Congress is “all about the Benjamins<\/a>,” a reference to AIPAC’s political influence.<\/p>\n Omar apologized<\/a> for the tweet, while Greene has shown no regret for endorsing<\/a> conspiracy theories about mass school shootings being staged or supporting the execution<\/a> of Democratic lawmakers. The Georgia Republican is currently attempting to raise money<\/a> off the efforts to remove her from congressional committees.<\/p>\n “Marjorie Taylor Greene has incited violence against her fellow members of Congress, repeatedly singling out prominent women of color,” Omar said Wednesday. “She actively encouraged the insurrection on the Capitol that threatened my life and the life of every member of Congress, and resulted in multiple deaths. She ran a campaign ad holding an assault rifle next to my face. She came to the Capitol demanding that me and Rep. [Rashida] Tlaib swear in on the Christian bible instead of the Quran.”<\/p>\n “The House Republican Caucus, instead of holding her accountable, is now fanning the flames,” Omar continued. “Republicans will do anything to distract from the fact that they have not only allowed but elevated members of their own caucus who encourage violence. It’s time to stop whitewashing the actions of the violent conspiracy theorists, who pose a direct and immediate threat to their fellow Members of Congress and our most fundamental democratic processes.”<\/p>\n Republicans desperate bad faith ploy to justify bigotry must be defeated. <\/p>\n They can not succeed in bullying their way out of accountability. <\/p>\n That\u2019s why this vote matters. https:\/\/t.co\/UHTveanYwf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 3, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Tlaib (D-Mich.) voiced a similar message Wednesday, calling<\/a> the Republican amendment a “false equivalency” and “a pathetically desperate smear.”<\/p>\n “Marjorie Taylor Greene has incited violence against her fellow members of Congress,” said Tlaib. “She’s unfit to serve, even by today’s GOP standards.”<\/p>\n “We applaud efforts to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from House committees, but that is not enough. She should be expelled from Congress.” Earlier Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said<\/a> that after speaking to Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), “it is clear there is no alternative to holding a floor vote on the resolution to remove Rep. Greene from her committee assignments.”<\/p>\n “The Rules Committee will meet this afternoon, and the House will vote on the resolution tomorrow,” added Hoyer.<\/p>\n During Wednesday’s call with Hoyer, according to<\/a> Politico<\/em>, McCarthy “sought a commitment” from the House majority leader “to yank the resolution from the floor if Republicans agreed to move Greene from the House Education and Labor Committee to another panel.” Hoyer refused the offer.<\/p>\n This is disgusting. A bad faith attack on a progressive woman of color designed to distract from Marjorie Taylor Greene’s reprehensible actions.<\/p>\n We join in solidarity with @Ilhan<\/a> against the smear campaign. https:\/\/t.co\/ypVqqs6Bd0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Win Without War (@WinWithoutWar) February 3, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
\u2014Rep. Ilhan Omar<\/p>\n\n
\u2014Scott Simpson, Muslim Advocates<\/p>\n\n