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U.S. House approves proposed State Dept anti-Islamophobia office

Published 12/14/2021, 06:16 AM
Updated 12/14/2021, 11:46 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) attends a news conference addressing the anti-Muslim comments made by Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) towards Omar, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2021. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) attends a news conference addressing the anti-Muslim comments made by Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) towards Omar, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2021. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

By Moira Warburton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to approve a Democratic proposal for a U.S. State Department office to address anti-Muslim bias, after a Republican congresswoman used an Islamophobic slur against a Democratic colleague.

The House backed the bill in a party-line vote of 219-212.

The bill, authored by Representative Ilhan Omar, would create a special envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia and include state-sponsored anti-Muslim violence in the department's annual human rights reports.

"We are in the midst of a staggering rise of anti-Muslim violence and discrimination around the world," Omar said on the House floor. "Islamophobia is global in scope and we must lead the global effort to address it."

The House vote comes a few weeks after video emerged showing first-term Republican lawmaker Lauren Boebert calling Omar, a Muslim second-term congresswoman who was born in Somalia, a member of a "jihad squad."

That comment led to calls by Democrats for a vote to strip Boebert of her committee assignments, as well as criticism by fellow Republican Representative Nancy Mace.

Republicans have decried the bill, calling it rushed and partisan.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) attends a news conference addressing the anti-Muslim comments made by Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) towards Omar, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2021. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Debate on the bill stalled for about an hour after Republican congressman Scott Perry accused Omar of being anti-Semitic and affiliated with terrorist organizations. The House chair ruled Perry's words on the House floor impugned Omar's reputation and were inappropriate.

Aides for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer did not respond to requests for comment about the bill. Its fate in that chamber is unclear.

Latest comments

What a waste of money. BTW, Christianity is the most oppressed religion in the world.
The truth hurts. #Snwflke
in shallah
Lol playing victim again. The fact is different. They have the most d iscrimination, violence, anti everything people in their religion compare to others
Lol playing victim. Islamic countries r the most discriminate, anti, violence against other religions in their countries and we all hear crickets from them.
so by your logic we can take away as much civil rights from arab americans and they can't complain because Saudi Arabia and Syria are run by dictators?  interesting logic......so we can treat chinese americans the way China treat their minorities and you would be OK with that, right?
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