House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems to have her hands full just trying to reign in the freshman Democrats who continue to run the show.
The Democratic leader condemned anti-Semitic rhetoric at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference on Tuesday and was quickly slammed by Rep. Ilhan Omar who cited the Constitution and her right to free speech, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
“A condemnation for people that want to exercise their First Amendment rights is beneath any leader, and I hope that we find a better use of language when we are trying to speak as members of Congress that are sworn to protect the Constitution,” Omar told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday.
The Minnesota freshman reportedly walked away without answering when reporters asked if she thought Pelosi’s remarks were aimed at her and fellow Muslim congresswoman, Rep. Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, who also supports the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
Pelosi condemned the global movement during her AIPAC speech Tuesday, appearing at the annual conference that many in her own party, including every one of the Democratic presidential candidates, announced they would skip this year.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, California Sen. Kamala Harris and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, were among the 2020 contenders who announced they would not be attending the conference.
“We must also be vigilant against bigoted or dangerous ideologies masquerading as policy, and that includes BDS,” Pelosi said.
The California Democrat addressed accusations of the dual loyalty of supporters of Israel, noting the vague, anti-hate House resolution condemning anti-Semitism voted on earlier this month. The text of the resolution referred to the “dual loyalty” trope mentioned by Omar but made no mention of the Muslim lawmaker by name.
“In our democratic societies, we should welcome legitimate debate on how best to honor our values and to advance our priorities without questioning loyalty or patriotism,” Pelosi said. “I simply declare to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-American. It has no place in our country.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was also in attendance at AIPAC and assured the crowd that he “proudly and unapologetically” stands with Israel.
“Together, we will defeat BDS because, at its core, it is un-American,” the Maryland Democrat said Sunday.
Omar has come under fire several times in recent weeks for anti-Semitic remarks and, with regard to AIPAC, had suggested that lawmakers who support Israel are motivated by money. A recent report noted that Omar has been giving speeches to mostly Muslim audiences in secret fundraising events, including an event in California hosted by CAIR-CA PAC over the weekend that sparked a protest by hundreds of pro-Israel demonstrators.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has been holding closed-door fundraisers with terror-linked Islamic groups https://t.co/jfgS9fAmMB
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) March 23, 2019
The Minnesota Democrat mocked the “very fascinating” protesters who rallied outside of the fundraising event, saying, “I don’t think any of them realize that people like myself and many of the people in this room could care less about what they have to say.”
While Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declared last month, “I’m the boss!” it seems her fellow freshman lawmaker, Omar, may be secretly declaring the same for the party which seems to struggle with censuring its members for their controversial remarks.
And while no one is suggesting anyone’s freedom of speech be curtailed, Omar’s comments, behavior and her rebuke of Pelosi sparked plenty of commentary on Twitter.
Omar has already won this battle within the Democratic Party
— Nick M (@NickAtNight128) March 26, 2019
OH BOY!!!! She justed opened a can of beans I dont think she should have opened!!! Think it’s time that this woman is put into her place! By being kicked off the foreign affairs committee and eventually voted out of office!
— jayson keith (@jaysonkeith6) March 26, 2019
Does @SpeakerPelosi continue to allow @IlhanMN to roll her?
— commonsense (@commonsense258) March 26, 2019
Democrats started the identity politics. It would be karma for that to be what kills the party. Can’t be the party of Islam and Judaism. Sooner or later Democrats are going to have to pick a side and lose a voting block.
— Leah Kostiuk (@KostiukLeah) March 26, 2019
Damn! @SpeakerPelosi you have zero control of the young democrats!
— IT’S RACE DAY (@MikeJorgensen5) March 26, 2019
Isreal is an ally of USA. BDS is a product of CAIR and other anti Israeli organizations. Omar is an anti-Semitic and supporter of CAIR. Unfortunately, she is now pushing her agenda in congress, and thankfully, they’re not having it. Vote her out in 2020!
— cathy church (@ChurchCathy) March 26, 2019
This is what you get when you coddle an anti-semite. Great Job Democrats! You show who’s in charge of you party. pic.twitter.com/Fh2EuCjILb
— CW (@circuscatch) March 26, 2019
Cat fight pic.twitter.com/yQveKwsPNT
— Delia Payne?? (@meemaw2013) March 26, 2019
She is brazen.
— debbietheriault (@tibbetts_debbie) March 26, 2019
BDS is an exercise in free speech? This is your new democrat party. The party that investigates political opponents in an attempt to have them arrested and lets obvious criminals who fake crimes off scot free
— Ocitman (@Ocitman) March 26, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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