Steny Hoyer

Government & Politics

Jeffries endorses Ilhan Omar amid AIPAC primary threat Democratic leadership is sending a message to progressives who are worried about primary challenges from the pro-Israel group: Caucus leaders plan to support all incumbents.

August 30, 2023   

(Politico) When Pramila Jayapal faced fierce blowback in mid-July after dubbing Israel a “racist state,” it immediately unnerved fellow House progressives. Their concern: Would Democratic leaders recommit to the longstanding policy of backing all incumbents, including critics of Israel? The answer was […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Pressley offering measure condemning Boebert

December 8, 2021   

(Hill) Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) is offering a resolution condemning Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) use of [Islamophobic] rhetoric — including her recent comments directed at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) — that would also remove her from her current committee assignments. The effort by a member […]

Government & Politics

After Israel allows West Bank visit to grandmother, Tlaib says she’s not going Legislator cites ‘humiliating’ terms for family trip, which she’d requested after being denied formal visit with Omar; she’d been blasted by Palestinians for ‘surrender’ to Israel

August 16, 2019   

(Times of Israel) Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib changed her mind Friday on visiting the West Bank, hours after Israel said it would allow her to visit relatives in the Palestinian territory on humanitarian grounds. The about-face was the latest in a series […]

Government & Politics

McCarthy to Post: Omar and Tlaib pulling Democratic Party away from Israel 'They are not a few [freshmen] anymore. They are the movement within the party,' McCarthy said.

August 14, 2019   

(Jerusalem Post) The difference between the Democratic and Republican parties on Israel is that while only mainstream Democrats support the Jewish state, the whole Republican party does, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) told the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. And the problem […]

Government & Politics

Heads of Republican-Democrat delegation agree: Omar, Tlaib should visit Israel Even critics ‘leave with much more positive view,’ say leaders of largest-ever group of US lawmakers, with 41 Democrats and 31 Republicans to tour; organizers deny Trump objects

August 11, 2019   

(Times of Israel) The leaders of an unprecedentedly large bipartisan congressional delegation visiting Israel on Sunday welcomed the plan by two controversial Muslim lawmakers to visit the Jewish state, and Jerusalem’s decision to let them enter the country. The two Democratic freshman […]

Government & Politics

Democrats brush off Rep. Omar’s push for Israel boycott, target BDS movement instead It's 'dead on arrival,' insists Brad Sherman, a senior Dem on Foreign Affairs Committee

July 18, 2019   

(Washington Times) Jewish Democrats brushed off Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Israel boycott resolution this week and instead kept their focus on their own resolution to denounce the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Ms. Omar, a vocal critic of Israel and a BDS […]

Government & Politics

Jewish Democrat: Don’t make a big deal if Tlaib leads visit to W. Bank 'Israel is giving her more attention than she deserves,' said Klein, who served two terms as a congressman from Florida, before being defeated by Alan West in 2010.

June 4, 2019   

(Jerusalem Post) Israeli officials should offer to meet US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib if she brings a small group of congressmen to the West Bank in August, on a trip she is planning to run concurrently with an AIPAC-backed trip for new representatives, […]

Government & Politics

Omar hits back at Pelosi over BDS remarks

March 26, 2019   

(Hill) Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Tuesday pushed back against Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for denouncing the global boycott and sanctions movement against Israel during an appearance before the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. During a speech before the […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Rep. Liz Cheney blasts House Democrats for ‘enabling’ anti-Semitic comments The House Republican said the failure to single out controversial comments by Rep. Omar was an effort to protect her.

March 10, 2019   

(NBC) Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., accused Democrats on Sunday of “enabling” anti-Semitism for failing to explicitly condemn recent comments by a freshman Minnesota Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar, in a recent congressional vote. Cheney, the third-ranking GOP leader in the House, made her […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

House repudiates bigotry after Omar comments split Dems The uproar over Ilhan Omar's controversial comments distracted Democrats, who wanted to focus on election reform.

March 7, 2019 , and   

(Politico) The House overwhelmingly approved a resolution condemning hate speech Thursday, indirectly rebuking Rep. Ilhan Omar’s controversial comments about Israel and ending a days-long political drama that had consumed the Democratic Caucus on the eve of a major legislative victory. The debate […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Tensions flare as Dems struggle to calm furor over Omar Lawmakers clashed behind closed doors, with some complaining that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team had failed to handle the escalating political crisis.

March 6, 2019 and   

(Politico) House Democratic leaders are struggling to contain the controversy over Rep. Ilhan Omar’s comments about Israel, with the caucus fighting behind closed doors over whether — and how — to respond. Tensions ran high at a caucus meeting Wednesday as some […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

House Dems postpone vote rebuking Omar amid pressure from left Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal allies stepped up their defense of the freshman Democrat.

March 5, 2019 , and   

(Politico) A vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to controversial comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar is set to slip past Wednesday amid intensifying pressure from the left both inside and outside the House Democratic Caucus. An array of progressive groups […]

Government & Politics

House Dems will take floor action to confront Omar’s latest Israel comments The freshman Democrat is clashing with senior lawmakers who view her remarks as anti-Semitic.

March 4, 2019 , and   

(Politico) Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Democrats will take floor action Wednesday in response to controversial remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar about Israel, the second such rebuke of the freshman Democrat from party leaders in recent weeks. Pelosi and other senior Democrats […]

Government & Politics

Ilhan Omar apologizes after Pelosi denounces tweet as anti-Semitic Democrats moved quickly after the freshman lawmaker suggested support for Israel stemmed from campaign donations.

February 11, 2019 and   

(Politico) Rep. Ilhan Omar apologized for anti-Semitic comments Monday after coming under pressure from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats. The Minnesota Democrat sparked a firestorm Sunday night when she implied lawmakers’ support for Israel is driven by campaign donations from […]

Government & Politics

Dem leaders defend freshmen Tlaib, Omar

January 29, 2019   

(Hill) House Democratic leaders on Tuesday defended progressive freshman Reps. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) against GOP accusations of anti-Semitism for their views toward Israel. The two freshmen have drawn ire from Republicans for their support of the boycott, divestment […]