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Malliotakis wants ‘liability’ Omar booted from congressional committee

New York Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis slammed Rep. Ilhan Omar as “a liability” to the country amid a Democratic civil war over the Minnesota “Squad” member likening the US and Israel to the Taliban and Hamas.

Malliotakis said the Somalia-born congresswoman should be grateful to be living in the United States but instead “badmouths” her adopted country — and as a result should at least be thrown off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“She is a liability to that committee,” Malliotakis said in a Friday afternoon appearance on Fox News.

“When I went to Israel in 2019, I spoke to citizens … They for the first time saw the United States was wavering in its support for Israel because of members like Ilhan Omar and [New York Rep.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She is a liability to the committee and she’s a liability to the United States of America.”

Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, also said that she wants Omar out of Congress altogether, but did not specify if she wanted House members or voters to accomplish that goal.

Nicole Malliotakis added that Ilhan Omar is a “liability” to the entire country. Susan Walsh/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutter

“Having her in Congress, I think, is detrimental for our nation and it’s very unfortunate because she came to this country as a refugee, just like my mother did from Cuba. She should have a profound appreciation for the opportunity that this nation has given her — that she could rise to become a United States member of Congress,” Malliotakis said.

“But unfortunately, she repeatedly badmouths our nation and she does it publicly and it’s not somebody who should be on the foreign affairs committee representing our nation to other nations.”

Fellow New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, who is Jewish and represents the eastern tip of Long Island, also unloaded on Omar.

“Just how much more anti-American propaganda is Speaker Pelosi cool with before she finally holds Ilhan Omar to account?” Zeldin tweeted Friday. “If Omar was Republican, you can bet Pelosi would run Omar out of DC. Total disgrace. Rep. Omar should be removed from @HouseForeign and then some.”

In a letter — spearheaded by Malliotakis and signed by nine GOP lawmakers — sent to Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Friday, Republicans asserted they believe her rhetoric warrants formal disciplinary action, referring to her remarks as “a new low.”  

“We write with a profound sense of concern in light of anti-American, antisemitic, and bigoted statements made by our colleague, Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05),” they wrote.

“Given Representative Omar’s history of engaging in this type of conduct, House Democratic leadership must take immediate and meaningful action to remove her from the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. We consider anything less to be a form of complicity. “

The group went on to note the uptick in anti-Semetic hate crimes this year, arguing inflammatory rhetoric could lead to further attacks.

“Individuals on both sides of the aisle should recognize that Representative Omar’s statements are rooted in falsehood, but we cannot underestimate the impact of her vitriol,” they continued.

“Hate crimes against minority groups have risen precipitously in the last year, and we are under no illusion that hateful rhetoric by high-profile members contributes to an environment of violence. It is imperative that House Democratic leadership act to address this matter immediately.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted Thursday, “Rep. Omar’s anti-Semitic & anti-American comments are abhorrent. Speaker Pelosi’s continued failure to address the issues in her caucus sends a message to the world that Democrats are tolerant of anti-Semitism and sympathizing with terrorists.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was also critical of Ilhan Omar. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Omar’s remarks drew furor from a dozen Jewish House Democrats including Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), but members of her left-wing “Squad” of allies flocked to her defense — challenging Democratic Party leadership in the process. She “clarified” her remarks on Thursday after a strong rebuke from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

At issue is Omar’s proclamation that “we have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban” and “we must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.”

Omar’s walk-back stated, “I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.”

Pelosi has been scrambling to patch up a deep intra-party rift that saw Democrats slamming each other on Twitter.

Omar called her Democratic critics “islamophobic.” And Omar “Squad” ally Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said House Democratic leadership was racist.

Tlaib tweeted, “House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is an ally of Ilhan Omar. Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Ocasio-Cortez, another “Squad” member, also came to Omar’s defense, writing, “Pretty sick & tired of the constant vilification, intentional mischaracterization, and public targeting of @IlhanMN coming from our caucus. They have no concept for the danger they put her in by skipping private conversations & leaping to fueling targeted news cycles around her.”

The dozen Jewish House Democrats had slammed Omar, writing, “Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided.”