House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) called for an ethics investigation into Somali refugee Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) over her recent remarks saying she represents her native Somalia in Congress that have brought calls for her to resign, be expelled from Congress, stripped of her citizenship and deported.
Emmer has previously called for Omar to resign over her alleged ‘Somali first’ remarks. A House Ethics Committee investigation could result in a recommendation for expulsion as happened with former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) who was expelled from Congress by a vote of the House after an ethics investigation last year.
A video excerpt of Omar’s speech given Saturday in Minneapolis:
We were profoundly surprised, even shocked on discovering the remarks made by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D) of Minnesota in a recent public forum, widely circulated on most social media platforms and attached below for your reference.
The language she employed was regrettably… pic.twitter.com/7Ag9ZafTKY
— Ambassador Rhoda J Elmi (@AmbRhodaJElmi) January 28, 2024
Omar has disputed the translation of her remarks spoken in her native Somali language to a Somali-American audience in Minneapolis on Saturday. More videos and press reports have been discovered since Saturday that show Omar using similar language that indicates she has long considered herself a Somali citizen working to advance the interests of the Somali government in Congress.
Note: This is an edited version posted by End Wokeness that cut out Omar’s comments on December 15, 2022 about the cold December weather in Minnesota, saying Mohamud’s next visit should be in the summer.
A week later in December 2022, Omar again referred to Somalia as “our country” spoke of “we…as Somalis” in remarks made in Somalia while addressing government leaders (VOA excerpt):
U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar hailed recent victories scored by the Somali government and local community forces against al-Shabab militants in central Somali regions.
Omar, who was born in Somalia, has been visiting the country since Thursday. In Mogadishu, she met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and members of the Cabinet and parliamentarians on Monday.
Speaking at a dinner in her honor hosted by Barre, Omar congratulated the Somali leaders for the “big success” against al-Shabab militants.
Omar called for collaboration in defeating the group she accused of “dishonoring” Islam.
“Our country and our religion have been associated with terrorism [because] of the dishonor they brought on us,” she said. “We have to get rid of them as Somalis and as Muslims and pray and support each other in that work.”
The Daily Mail was first to report on Emmer’s letter to the Ethics Committee (excerpt):
Following massive backlash and calls for her to resign or even be deported, House GOP Whip Tom Emmer is demanding an ethics investigation into her ‘appalling’ rhetoric.
According to a letter obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, Emmer asked the House Ethics Committee to probe whether the Minnesota Democrat had violated Rule XXIII, clause 1, which states: ‘a Member of the House shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect credibly on the House.’
…’No sitting member of Congress should be able to blatantly spew anti-American rhetoric and get away with it. I am demanding an ethics investigation into Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments to ensure that she starts taking her oath of office and commitment to the 5th district of Minnesota seriously,’ said Emmer, a fellow Minnesotan, in a statement.
Posts on X Twitter by Emmer on Omar:
“No sitting member of Congress should be able to blatantly spew anti-American rhetoric and get away with it. I am demanding an ethics investigation into Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments.”
“Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to the Minnesotans she was elected to serve and a direct violation of her oath of office. She should resign in disgrace.”
Radio interview of Emmer reiterating hos call for Omar to resign, saying Omar’s remarks are a “dereliction of her oath of office…a direct contradiction to the oath she took for that office”: