Rep. Liz Cheney, who chairs the House GOP conference, on Sunday said that House Democratic leaders were trying to “protect” Rep. Ilhan Omar with a recent vote on a broad resolution to condemn bigotry.
“It was really clearly an effort to actually protect Ilhan Omar, to cover up her bigotry and anti-semitism by refusing to name her,” Ms. Cheney said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Ms. Cheney was one of about two dozen House Republicans who voted against the resolution last week, saying she stands against discrimination but the process was a sham.
“I think it is absolutely shameful that [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and [House Majority Leader Steny H.] Hoyer and the Democratic leaders will not put her name in a resolution on the floor and condemn her remarks and remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” the Wyoming Republican said.
Ms. Omar, a freshman Democrat from Minnesota, has apologized for suggesting that lawmakers who support Israel are bought off and recently has suggested that some in politics might have dual allegiances.
“They’ve got a real problem,” Ms. Cheney said. “The extent to which they are now abiding by anti-semitism, enabling anti-semitism in their party is something we watch them struggle with but [it’s] something that’s very dangerous for the country … I’m hopeful that they will be able to stand up and do the right thing on this.”
She also said it shouldn’t be a “right or left” issue, that everyone needs to stand up against anti-semitism.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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