The right move on Rep. Omar

Re “GOP’s petty payback against Democrats only deepens partisan divide,” editorial, Feb. 2

Seven years before she was elected to Congress in 2019, Rep. Ilhan Omar (DMinn.) tweeted, as noted in a House resolution, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

She has continued to make offensive remarks about Israel and the Jews of this country. She may have “apologized” for her remarks, but many people do that when they are caught and condemned for their behavior.

As a bigoted person, Omar is not appropriate to sit on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Her removal by Republicans is not just petty partisan payback.

Beth Ruben Santa Barbara

::

Last week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) removed Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over remarks made in 2019 that were condemned as antisemitic.

However, Omar’s constituents and other Foreign Affairs Committee members feel that her voice and her perspective as an immigrant is necessary.

Also, after the last presidential election, multiple Republican lawmakers objected to certifying the result. Some now sit on committees investigating those who attempted to hold the former administration responsible for the insurgency.

Rep. Jim Jordan (ROhio), one of the 147 GOP House members who voted against certification, now heads a subcommittee tasked with investigating the “weaponization of the federal government.”

Even more concerning, two Democratic representatives seated on the House Intelligence Committee were removed, and Jordan’s new subcommittee wants access to highly classified information. I have a distinct feeling this will not end well for the country.

Kathryn Louyse Glendale