The House of Representatives is expected to vote on a resolution Thursday condemning anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, and bigotry following Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s controversial comments about the role of pro-Israel activists in the U.S. government.
“This is an opportunity once again to declare as strongly as possible opposition to anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim statements,” and “white supremacist attitudes,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to the New York Times.
The resolution addresses the growth of hate crimes over the past few years, stating, “whether from the political right, center, or left, bigotry, discrimination, oppression, racism, and imputations of dual loyalty threaten American democracy and have no place in American political discourse.”
Pelosi reportedly said Thursday that the resolution is not about Omar, but about all kinds of hatred. While it does have a wider frame of condemnation, the resolution specifically mentions the idea of “dual loyalty” that Omar has been criticized for mentioning, “especially in the context of support for the United States-Israel alliance.”
Omar—a Minnesota Democrat and one of two Muslim women in Congress—came under fire last week for arguing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee pushes for “allegiance to a foreign country.” This isn’t her first comment to be labeled anti-Semitic: Omar apologized for similarly controversial tweets last month while maintaining her criticism of AIPAC.
Pelosi said that while it’s up to Omar to explain her comments, “I do not believe that she understood the full weight of her words.”
Some Democrats have harshly condemned Omar for her words while others asked why the House does not equally condemn discriminatory comments made by President Donald Trump and their GOP colleagues. Thus the resolution also denounces all bigotry, anti-Muslim discrimination, and white supremacy.
“The president may think there are good people on both sides,” said Pelosi, referencing Trump’s comments following the 2017 white supremacist march in Charlottesville. “We don’t share that view.”
