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U.S. NEWS Thursday 2 February 2023
Republicans set to oust Rep. Omar from Foreign Affairs panel

By LISA MASCARO and are united that she should
KEVIN FREKING be seated on the com-
Associated Press mittee, said Rep. Gregory
WASHINGTON (AP) — New- Meeks of New York, the
ly empowered House Re- ranking Democrat on the
publicans are preparing committee.
to oust Democratic Rep. The resolution proposed
Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born by Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio,
Muslim lawmaker, from the a former official in the
House Foreign Affairs Com- Trump administration, says
mittee over her past com- “Omar’s comments have
ments critical of Israel and brought dishonor to the
as payback after Demo- House of Representatives.”
crats booted far-right GOP Texas Rep. Michael Mc-
lawmakers from commit- Caul, the committee chair-
tees for their incendiary, man, argued against her
violent remarks. inclusion on the commit-
A procedural vote Wednes- tee in a recent closed-
day showed unified Re- door meeting with fellow
publican support for mov- Republicans. “It’s just that
ing against Omar, who has her worldview of Israel is so
apologized for comments diametrically opposed to
that she has said she came the committee’s,” McCaul
to understand were viewed Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. said. “I don’t mind having
as antisemitic. It was ap- 25, 2023, in Washington. differences of opinion, but
proved on party lines, with Associated Press this goes beyond that.”
all Democrats opposed. A of the chamber in January. late Tuesday to consider waiting for Democrats to Having her on the commit-
final vote was expected Unlike most committees, the move against Omar. formally nominate Omar to tee, he said, “creates dys-
Thursday. House Speaker appointments to the Intel- McGovern argued that the committee, which she function.” Omar said the
Kevin McCarthy has been ligence Committee are the Democrats had removed served on during the last issues Republicans have
eager to flex Republican prerogative of the speaker. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Congress. Once the com- cited in opposing her are
power to remove the Min- “This is about vengeance. Greene, R-Ga., and Paul mittee roster is approved a pretext to justify their ac-
nesota Democrat after he This is about spite. This is Gosar, R-Ariz., from commit- by the House, then Repub- tions. In reality, “it is about
blocked Rep. Adam Schiff about politics,” said Rep. tees for remarks that were licans would move to strip revenge. It’s about ap-
and Rep. Eric Swalwell, James McGovern of Mas- far more extreme and vio- her of the seat. peasing the former presi-
both California Democrats, sachusetts, the top Demo- lent against fellow lawmak- Democrats have little re- dent,” Omar said a recent
from rejoining the House crat on the House Rules ers than those for which course at this point and are news conference at the
Intelligence Committee Committee, as Republicans Omar had apologized. planning to formally submit Capitol, referring to Donald
once the GOP took control called a hurried meeting Republicans said they were their lineup for a vote. “We Trump.q

20 attorneys general warn Walgreens, CVS over abortion pills

By JIM SALTER legal action he would take have the power to do so in greens said the company confidentially storing drug
Associated Press if the pharmacies begin defiance of U.S. Food and is not currently dispensing prescribing records.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Attorneys selling abortion pills to Mis- Drug Administration policy. mifepristone, although they “We fully understand that
general in 20 conservative- sourians by mail. A physician and a com- are working to become eli- we may not be able to
led states warned CVS and “I will enforce the laws as pany that makes the pill gible through an FDA-man- dispense Mifepristone in all
Walgreens on Wednesday written,” Bailey said in a mifepristone filed separate dated certification pro- locations if we are certi-
that they could face le- statement in response to lawsuits last month seeking cess, requiring pharmacies fied under the program,” a
gal consequences if they questions from The Associ- to strike down bans in North to meet specific standards statement from spokesman
sell abortion pills by mail in ated Press. “That includes Carolina and West Virginia. in shipping, tracking and Fraser Engerman read.q
those states. laws protecting the health For more than 20 years, the
A letter from Republican of women and their unborn FDA limited dispensing of
Missouri Attorney General children. the drug to a subset of spe-
Andrew Bailey to the na- The FDA rule is in direct vio- cialty offices and clinics be-
tion’s largest pharmacy- lation of federal law, and cause of safety concerns.
dispensing companies was the unelected bureaucrats But since the start of the
co-signed by 19 other at- at the FDA have no au- COVID-19 pandemic, the
torneys general, warning thority to change Missouri agency eased restrictions,
that sale of abortion pills law, either. The people’s eliminating the in-person
would violate federal law elected representatives requirement for the pill and
and abortion laws in many have spoken on the issue of allowing brick-and-mortar
states. Missouri is among abortion in our state, and pharmacies to dispense it.
states that implemented we will fight to uphold that At least one lawsuit filed
strict abortion prohibitions in court.” by abortion opponents ar-
last summer after the Su- Nineteen states have im- gues that the FDA has over- Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama
preme Court ruling over- posed restrictions on abor- stepped its authority in ap- Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022.
turning Roe v. Wade. tion pills, but there’s a court proving the abortion drugs. Associated Press
Bailey didn’t specify what battle over whether they A spokesman for Wal-