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WASHINGTON – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Wednesday the Democrat-led House of Representatives will vote Thursday to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from her House committees because of her past controversial statements and embracing of QAnon conspiracy theories.
Hoyer said he and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., spoke by phone Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to reach a compromise over how to address the freshman lawmakers incendiary statements. But after the conversation, Hoyer told Capitol Hill reporters the full House will vote to remove Greene from her committees on Thursday, saying “it is clear there is no alternative.”
A Rules Committee meeting was held Wednesday to take up a measure spearheaded by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., that would clear the way for the full House to vote to oust Greene from her committee posts. Once on the floor, the Democratic-led House could pass it with a simple majority.
Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, the top Republican on the panel, said Greene’s comments were “repugnant and unbecoming of any member of Congress” but said Democrats’ actions are “premature” and instead should have gone through the Ethics Committee.
But Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., who chairs the Ethics Committee, said there was no reason to do that because Greene “was rewarded” for her past statements by being named to committees.
“That has done damage to the integrity of the House,” he said. during the Rules Committee meeting. “It is appropriate … and necessary to take this action beauties no other action was taken by (GOP) leadership.”
Greene did not answer questions Wednesday from reporters as she left her office. But her campaign sent out a fundraising appeal.
“Today’s the day I could be removed from committees, or worse, expelled from Congress,” she said in the fundraising email. “Why? Because I stood up for President Trump, I stand for America First, I filed Articles of Impeachment against Joe Biden, and I speak the truth. I need you to call your Representative and urge them to #StandWithMTG! Tell them not to cave to the radical socialists in Congress!”
Republicans are gathering behind closed doors Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST when they are expected to discuss whether to take any actions against Greene and Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney, the third most powerful member of the caucus.
Cheney angered Trump loyalists in the party by joining nine other House Republicans in voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump on a charge he incited the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Some Republicans want Cheney stripped of conference chair post.Â
More:House Republicans, divided and angry, meet to decide fate of Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene
Democrats have called for Greene to be stripped of her assignments on the House Education and Labor Committee and the Budget Committee after her past statements and social media posts resurfaced after she sworn into office Jan. 3.
She had “liked” calls for violence against prominent Democrats on Facebook, described school shootings as staged events, and outlined conspiracies such as space lasers causing deadly wildfires in California.
Her views have drawn ridicule and ire from Republicans as well. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., told reporters Tuesday, she was “nutty” and an “embarrassment to our party. There’s no place for her in the Republican Party, there ought to be no place.”
In response, a cadre of pro-Trump lawmakers are trying to remove Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from her House committee assignments for controversial statements made over the past two years.
House Republicans Brian Babin of Texas, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Jody Hice of Georgia, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Ronny Jackson of Texas — who, like Greene, also spread misinformation about election fraud — sponsored a proposed amendment to remove Omar from committee, first reported by FOX News.
“Leftist Members of Congress have advocated for violence, anti-Semitism, anti-law enforcement, & other sentiments that have violated rules of decorum & principles of American decency,” Biggs tweeted Wednesday. “That’s why I’m calling for Rep Omar to be removed from her committee.”
Babin claims several of instances as evidence for Omar’s removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, including her Feb. 2019 tweet “It’s all about the Benjamins baby†in responding to a comment made by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about punishing Omar for being critical of Israel.
Omar’s tweet triggered swift backlash from both sides of the aisle, with some accusing her of using anti-Semitic stereotypes.
After the backlash, Omar apologized for her tweet. “Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,â€Â Omar tweeted. “My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole.”
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