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SQUAD ERUPTS: AOC slams GOP for 'targeting women of color' after Ilhan Omar booted from key panel

'I am Muslim, I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted?' said Ilhan Omar

WASHINGTON, DC: The House voted to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, February 2. This comes in the wake of her past controversial comments about Israel. The Minnesota Democrat was ousted by the newly empowered Republican majority. The final voting count remained at 218 to 211. The decision to vote her out comes after she invoked antisemitic tropes with her tweets in 2019 and 2021. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was not happy with this decision and threw a tantrum in the house.

AOC snapped at the congressional Republicans during her wild speech on the House floor on Thursday after Omar was voted out. She angrily told the House that the GOP was "targeting women of color" with their decision of ousting Omar. She further accused them of elevating Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's role despite her own history of controversial statements about Jewish people. As per Fox News, Omar concluded the voting by saying, "I am Muslim, I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy, or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?" Kevin McCarthy was someone who was against Omar and posted, "Ilhan Omar's past statements make it clear she is unfit to represent the U.S. on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. - She repeatedly used anti-semitic tropes - She described 9/11 by saying "some people did something" - She compared America and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban"

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What did AOC say?

AOC began, "I think one of the things that we should talk about here is also one of the disgusting legacies after 9/11 — has been the targeting and racism against Muslim Americans throughout the United States of America, And this is an extension of that legacy! Consistency? There is nothing consistent with the Republican Party’s continued attack, except for the racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body."

She continues, "I had a member of the Republican Caucus threaten my life and the Republican Caucus rewarded him with one of the most prestigious committee assignments in this Congress. Don’t tell me this is about consistency! Don’t tell me that this is about a condemnation of antisemitic remarks when you have a member of the Republican caucus who has talked about Jewish space lasers and an entire amount of tropes, and also elevated her to some of the highest committee assignments in this body! This is about targeting women of color in the United States of America! Don’t tell me, because I didn’t get a single apology when my life was threatened". AOC slammed her notebook at the podium before storming off.

'Politics at its worst'

One user wrote, "Ilhan Omar has been removed from the foreign affairs committee. Not because she’s incompetent, but clearly because she’s a woman of color. That’s the only reason." Another person said, "Every damn word. If you can’t see how what’s happening with @IlhanMN is purely about Islamophobia and racism, and you think she’s in any way equal to the woman who aligns with Neo-Nazis, then you should admit you also don’t care about antisemitism." Bernie Sanders wrote, "It is an outrage that every Republican voted to remove @IlhanMN – a third term Muslim American woman – from the Foreign Affairs committee. Our job is to unite the American people, not divide them based on their race and religion. What a disgraceful day for the House."

One user wrote, "A duly elected United States Congresswoman was just kicked off a committee bcuz of her views. Not bcuz of crimes she committed. Not bcuz of threats she made. Not bcuz of ethics violations. No. She was kicked off a committee bcuz of the way she thinks. That’s so wrong. @IlhanMN" Another user said, "AOC nails it and brings the receipts. Removing Ilhan Omar is about GOP supporting racism, misogyny, and attacking women of color. Reckless." One more user said, "Removing @IlhanMN from the House Foreign Affairs Committee is politics at its worst."

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