Some House Democrats are increasing pressure on the leadership to punish Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for a pattern of alleged “Islamophobic” remarks against her colleague, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Mich., The Hill reported on Wednesday.
This week, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., introduced a resolution calling for Boebert to be censured and removed from committee assignments.
“We have a responsibility to show this country that bigotry is unacceptable,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said during a Wednesday press conference regarding the resolution.
Democratic leadership applied the same discipline to Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., earlier in the year for pushing unsavory rhetoric and imagery of Democratic lawmakers.
“We cannot normalize this rhetoric,” said Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y. “And if we do not act accordingly — if leadership does not act accordingly — we are condoning that behavior, not just here in Congress, but we are sending the message across the country and around the world that anti-Muslim hate is OK.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has declined to endorse Pressley’s proposal so far, saying to reporters on Wednesday that when she is ready to announce, she will “let you know.”
Pressley, the same day, downplayed disagreements with leadership, saying she’s “confident that we will reach a resolution resulting in accountability.”
Several prominent progressive Democrats were more impatient than Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman in calling for action.
“It is my expectation that Lauren Boebert is going to be held accountable,” said New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “At some point, I think the House as a whole is going to have to act.”
“St. Louis and I did not come to Congress to watch bigots’ parade around our workplace abusing and harassing our colleagues,” said firebrand Missouri Rep. Cori Bush. “It is time for Democratic leadership to act; bring our resolution to the House floor for a vote.”
