WASHINGTON — Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., is planning to introduce a resolution Tuesday afternoon that would punish Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for her recent Islamophobic comments she made toward Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., by removing Boebert from her committee assignments.
The measure seeks to hold Boebert accountable for her “repeated use of Islamophobic, racist and hateful comments and incitement of anti-Muslim animus, and Leader Kevin McCarthy’s refusal to hold her accountable for her dangerous conduct,” Pressley’s office said.
Dec. 8, 202108:01
Specifically, the resolution would remove Boebert from the House Budget Committee and House Natural Resources Committee.
More than a dozen House Democrats back the resolution, according to Pressley’s office, including several other members of the so-called “squad” such as Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as well as the chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
The resolution comes after a video emerged in late November that showed Boebert suggesting that Omar, who is Muslim and wears a hijab, was mistaken for a terrorist in an elevator both were riding in at the U.S. Capitol.
Pressley said in a statement previewing her resolution that it’s “dangerous” for a member of Congress to “repeatedly use hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobic tropes towards a Muslim colleague.”
“Without meaningful accountability for that Member’s actions, we risk normalizing this behavior and endangering the lives of our Muslim colleagues, Muslim staffers and every Muslim who calls America home,” Pressley said. “The House must unequivocally condemn this incendiary rhetoric and immediately pass this resolution. How we respond in moments like these will have lasting impacts, and history will remember us for it.”
Asked Wednesday by NBC News about the push to remove her from committees, Boebert declined to comment.
Omar said in an interview on CNN Sunday that she was “very confident” that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., would take “decisive action” in her defense.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told The Hill newspaper Tuesday night, “I haven’t heard anything binding from leadership, which in and of itself is an embarrassment.” She continued, “This shouldn’t take this long; this should not drag on. It’s pretty simple. It doesn’t have to be a big huge thing. It’s pretty open and closed.”
Pelosi was asked Tuesday, according to the Hill, how she plans to address the situation involving Boebert and she replied tersely, “Why don’t you go ask the Republicans?”
Democrats have lashed out at House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for failing to condemn Boebert for her comments. He said last week that Boebert apologized for her actions.
Meanwhile, more than 400 congressional staff members, including over 50 who are Muslim, are calling on House leaders to “categorically reject the incendiary rhetoric” in the workplace in the wake of Boebert’s comments.
It’s unclear if House Democratic leaders would bring Pressley’s measure to the floor for a vote.
Sahil Kapur contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
