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 of 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 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.
Hoyer declined to say whether Democrats would move to table the Zeldin resolution if Republicans were to try to force a vote on it.
"I don't want to anticipate that. We'll see what they do," he said.
Asked if Democratic leaders would consider stripping Omar of her committee assignments as Republican leaders did when Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, made remarks questioning when white supremacy became offensive, Hoyer said, "Of course not."
House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., also said he doesn't think more action needs to be taken against Omar.
Clyburn said the King's situation merited stronger action because the King had for years been using language that denigrated people because of their race.
"The difference between the King scenario was that it had been a long time coming," Hoyer said. "And very frankly the president of the United States has used some pretty harsh negative language about people. Should he be removed?"
