Democratic leaders decline to punish Omar after her apology for remarks

WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders do not plan to strip freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar of her committee assignments or take other action against her for comments they said were offensive and invoked anti-Semitic tropes.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he takes Omar at her word that she didn’t intend to be anti-Semitic when she said lawmakers took pro-Israel stances because of political contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Omar, D-Minn., has “unequivocally” apologized for the comments — after Democratic leaders called on her to do so — saying she did not mean offense or to invoke an anti-Semitic trope about Jewish money. At the same time, she affirmed her opposition to lobbying groups like AIPAC being involved in politics.

Hoyer said he didn’t think Omar equivocated in her apology and forgave her comments so long as she doesn’t repeat them.

“I don’t think she’s anti-Semitic,” Hoyer said. “She did apologize. The key will be that when we make a mistake like that, conscious or unconscious, that we don’t repeat it. That will be the proof of the pudding.”

Democrats are not planning to take any legislative action against Omar, Hoyer said. He also said he had not talked with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who said Republicans will take action of their own this week.

While no decision about the specific action has been made yet, it could come in the form of a resolution rebuking Omar’s comments and rejecting anti-Semitism. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., has such a resolution that the Republican leadership is considering.

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., also said he doesn’t think more action needs to be taken against Omar.