Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has again come under fire for her comments about Israel, after telling Rep. Nita Lowey — who criticized the use of "anti-Semitic tropes that accuse Jews of dual loyalty" — that she "should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country."
The backdrop: Omar “unequivocally" apologized last month for using an anti-Semitic trope while arguing that political support for Israel is based on campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups. At an event on Wednesday, she suggested that lawmakers and activists who support Israel hold “allegiance to a foreign country," the Jewish Insider reported. It prompted House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) to demand she again apologize for "invoking a vile anti-Semitic slur."
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) disclosed on Saturday that he will vote in support of a resolution this month to block President Trump's emergency declaration, reports the Bowling Green Daily News.
"I can’t vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress. We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn’t authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it’s a dangerous thing."
Why it matters: Paul's vote, along with the votes of Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Thom Tillis (N.C.), gives the Senate the majority necessary to block Trump's national emergency. Sen. Lamar Alexander also warned Trump last week that he will face a GOP rebellion if he follows through with the declaration. Trump has already vowed to veto the resolution if it passes, which will be the first veto of his presidency.
House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), whose committee would be responsible for starting impeachment proceedings, told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that "it's very clear" President Trump obstructed justice.
Ivanka Trump told the Gridiron dinner President Trump regretted he couldn't attend the gathering of journalists, politicians and political officials in Washington, D.C., Saturday night. "This isn’t a joke," President Trump's elder daughter and senior adviser said, according to the Associated Press. "The opportunity to poke fun at the media is not something he passes up lightly. [For my father,] every day is a Gridiron dinner."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) further critiqued the ICE amendment to the Bipartisan Background Checks Act on Saturday morning, referring to a CNN report about detained children being held down for forcible injections.
Details: The amendment proposed by House Republicans forces the NICS background check database to notify ICE if an undocumented immigrant attempts to buy a firearm.
