In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday night, an attempt to censure Democratic Rep.
Ilhan Omar of Minnesota over her remarks concerning conservative figurehead Charlie Kirk was thwarted.
This was made possible by the surprising alliance of four Republican representatives with their Democratic counterparts. The Republicans who broke ranks were Mike Flood of Nebraska, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Cory Mills of Florida.
They joined forces with the Democrats to narrowly defeat a censure motion proposed by Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, with a vote of 214-213.
According to Newsmax, Mace expressed her disappointment in a statement, "Tonight, 210 Democrats and 4 Republicans sold out and chose to protect Ilhan Omar, a woman who mocked the cold-blooded assassination of an innocent American husband and father, who has openly supported ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood, and who has repeatedly incited political violence."
Mace went on to accuse her colleagues of failing to stand with Charlie Kirk and the millions mourning his demise. Instead, she claimed, they sided with Omar, who she accused of mocking Kirk's legacy. "They showed us exactly who they are, and we won't forget," Mace added.
Despite the defeat of Mace's resolution, another censure motion against Omar, this one proposed by Rep. Buddy Carter, a Republican from Georgia, is still pending. Carter's resolution seeks to remove Omar from her positions on the House Budget and Education committees.
The controversy stems from an interview Omar gave last week to liberal commentator Mehdi Hasan. In the interview, Omar expressed empathy for Kirk's widow, Erika, and their two young children. However, she also criticized those who she claimed were pretending that Kirk was merely interested in a "civil debate."
Omar pointed to Kirk's controversial views on issues such as gun control, slavery, and the George Floyd case. "There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him [Kirk] just wanting to have a civil debate," Omar said. "These people are full of [expletive], and it's important for us to call them out while we feel anger and sadness."
Omar also took the opportunity to critique Kirk's positions on gun control, police reform, and race, and she did not mince words when discussing his supporters. "There is nothing more [expletive] up to completely pretend his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so," she said.
Mace's failed censure resolution also referenced a video that Omar had reposted from an anonymous user. The video labeled Kirk as a "reprehensible human being" who was "spewing racist dog whistles" in his "last, dying words."
In response to the failed censure attempt, Omar expressed her gratitude to her colleagues for their support. "Thank you to my colleagues for having my back and not furthering lies on the House floor," Omar wrote. "Appreciate them safeguarding First Amendment protections and the usage of the censure. Finally, some sanity in the House."
This is not the first time Omar has faced censure in the House. In May 2024, Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, introduced a resolution to censure Omar after she labeled Jewish students at Columbia University as "pro-genocide" during protests against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. However, Bacon's resolution never made it to the House floor for a vote.
In February 2023, the House voted 218-211 to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee after she accused Jewish people and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee of buying political support, saying, "It's all about the Benjamins, baby." Her use of an antisemitic trope was condemned by both Republicans and Democrats.
As the dust settles on this latest political skirmish, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Omar. With another censure motion still pending, the controversy surrounding her remarks and actions is far from over.
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