Speaker Kevin McCarthy is leading an effort to remove Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee due to her past criticisms of Israel.

On Wednesday, Republicans took a step forward by passing a resolution that would oust Congresswoman Omar from her committee seat. The resolution, which all 218 House Republicans voted for, will likely lead to Congresswoman Omar’s removal.

Here’s what Democrats and Republicans are saying:

Democrats have slammed Speaker McCarthy and Republicans for passing the resolution, accusing them of bigotry and for targeting one of only two Muslim women serving in Congress. The Chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pramila Jayapal, reacted to the vote by saying “You cannot remove a Member of Congress from a committee simply because you do not agree with their views. This is both ludicrous and dangerous.” Jayapal added that Congresswoman Omar is an “esteemed an invaluable legislator.”

Republicans have praised the move by Speaker McCarthy, with common messaging including that Congresswoman Omar’s previous comments regarding Israel, one of the closest allies to the United States, disqualifies her from sitting on the foreign affairs committee. Ohio Republican Max Miller said, “Congresswoman Omar clearly cannot be an objective decision-maker on the Foreign Affairs Committee given her biases against Israel and against the Jewish people.”

Previous comments by Congresswoman Omar:
In a tweet posted back in 2021, Congresswoman Omar said, “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the United States, Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.”

In another tweet in 2019, Congresswoman Omar tweeted that lawmakers support Israel because it is “all about the Benjamins.”