Democrats — joined by four Republicans — defeated an effort to censure progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar for reposting a video criticizing MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk after he was shot last week.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace introduced the censure resolution, which heavily quoted the video that Omar reposted, and cited an interview Omar did with Zeteo in which Mace said Omar “smeared” Kirk.
Two hundred ten Democrats voted to table Mace’s resolution, which would have formally reprimanded Omar and stripped her of her committee assignments. The four Republicans who also voted to table the resolution were Reps. Tom McClintock, Mike Flood, Jeff Hurd and Cory Mills.
(Notably, Mills is facing his own censure resolution introduced by Democratic Rep. Greg Casar for allegations of domestic violence and stolen valor. Axios reported before the vote that Democrats were expected to drop their resolution against Mills if the Omar censure failed.)
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“Protecting Omar is apparently more important than condemning political violence,” Mace posted on X after the vote. “Cowards.”
For her part, Omar thanked her Democratic colleagues in a post saying they did not further “lies on the House floor.”
“Appreciate them safeguarding first amendment protections and the usage of the censure,” she said. “Finally some sanity in the House.”
Mace’s attempted censure is the latest in a string of partisan attempts from Republicans to discipline their political opponents, including a failed measure this month against Rep. LaMonica McIver over a scuffle with immigration officers.
Omar and Mace exchanged attacks on social media all week, with Mace posting Wednesday that she would “love” to see Omar — who is a U.S. citizen — “deported back to Somalia.” Omar responded that Mace needed “rehab.”
Democrats have publicly defended Omar this week, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling Mace a “complete and total disgrace” before the vote.
“Her racist, unhinged and xenophobic comments about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar are beneath the dignity of the Congress,” Jeffries said in a statement. “Is this what civility looks like in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives?”
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