The resolution being drafted by Democratic House leadership in response to freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar’s controversial statements about Israel will be updated to include a condemnation of anti-Muslim rhetoric.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Steny Hoyer announced the plan to broaden the resolution to include the language in a meeting of Democratic House leadership on Tuesday, a senior aide told the Associated Press.
“There is a lot emotional disquiet about the situation, and it’s a good time to restate our values,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said after the meeting. “That’s what I hope our resolution can do.”
The resolution is expected to be brought to the House floor on Wednesday.
The Democratic leadership began crafting the resolution after Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim woman elected to Congress, said last week that Israel supporters are pushing US lawmakers to take a pledge of “allegiance to a foreign country.”
The statement, which Omar has not apologized for, led to a firestorm of criticism from conservatives and Democratic supporters of Israel. President Trump tweeted it was a “dark day” for the Jewish state after the statement.
The resolution the House will introduce on the floor will include a history of bigotry against Muslims, blacks and Jews.
It will not mention Omar by name, but includes a statement that “accusations of dual loyalty generally have an insidious, bigoted history,” according to a draft of the resolution.
