Congressman Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., made news last night that’s surprising many.
Gaetz said he’s undecided on the forthcoming vote to remove Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar from the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The Florida Republican’s remarks came during an interview on Newsmax.
WATCH:
Three Republicans have already come out in opposition to Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s bid to oust Rep. Omar.
With Democrats united in their opposition to stripping Omar of her powerful committee assignment, McCarthy can only afford to lose four members of his caucus.
The Hill further reports:
“The reason I think a lot of Republicans want to kick Ilhan Omar off of the Foreign Affairs Committee is because they don’t like what she has to say,” Gaetz said on Newsmax Monday night.
“I am undecided as of tonight as to whether or not I would vote to remove Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, because it’s one thing to do dangerous things to the country with intelligence. It’s quite another to say, ‘I don’t like your viewpoint, and thus I want to remove you,’” Gaetz said. “I don’t support that with DirecTV and Newsmax. I didn’t support it when it was directed at my friend and colleague, [Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene.”
Gaetz’s uncertainty on the issue is adding to a whip count problem for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) fulfilling his longtime promise of removing Omar from the panel over remarks that many Republicans have said are antisemitic. Omar has apologized for those comments.
Gaetz supported McCarthy’s unilateral decision to block California Democrats Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from serving on the Intelligence Committee. He made clear that he considers Omar’s antisemitic tropes different from Schiff’s mishandling of investigations into former President Donald Trump and Swalwell’s connection to a suspected Chinese spy.
Should Gaetz join Reps. Ken Buck, Victoria Spartz and Nancy Mace, McCarthy’s plans will fall apart.
And Ilhan Omar will serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for another two years.
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I do not live in Florida so I do not vote in Gaetz’s district. Gaetz
stated ““The reason I think a lot of Republicans want to kick Ilhan Omar off of the Foreign Affairs Committee is that they don’t like what she has to say,” Interesting that Omar hates our country and Gaetz defends her. Omar who also wants to get rid of the US Constitution but uses the 1st amendment’s “Freedom of Speech” to defend her socialist anti-US Republic and its citizens. Are her district voters anti-USA also? Get real Gaetz!
Get off your white horse and help clean up congress.
Come on Matt! You’re not in high school anymore. The dems removed conservative committee members when they were in charge but didn’t think that the Republicans in power would have the guts to give retribution. The dems count on us to let them have their way and consistently up the ante to see just how much more they can get away with. Fight fire with fire! It’s the only thing that they understand. I learned in high school that when you finally challenge and beat the bully that they sneak back into the darkness. Add that to the facts that Omar hates the Israelis and also her host country. She is just part of the Muslim long-term plan to infiltrate and destroy our form of government. Begone with her.