US House GOP votes to oust Minnesota Democrat Omar from major committee

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have voted to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The vote in a raucous session on Thursday (Feb. 2, 2023) to remove the Somali-born Muslim lawmaker came after her past comments critical of Israel. It was also a response by the new Republican majority after Democrats booted far-right GOP lawmakers from committees over their incendiary, violent remarks in the last session. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked quickly to solidify wavering Republican support after some GOP lawmakers had expressed reservations about taking such a dramatic step. The Minnesota Democrat has apologized for comments that she has said she came to understand were antisemitic.