House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is set to create a bipartisan group of lawmakers tasked with writing an updated code of conduct that outlines expected behavior for the lower chamber, the Republican leader said on Thursday.
The decision comes after the House voted to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her position on the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee for her anti-Israel positions and comments that have been deemed antisemitic. The House approved her removal with a 218-211 vote on Thursday, prompting some lawmakers to push for rule changes over how a lawmaker is stripped of committee assignments.
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“I’m going to put a group of Democrats that [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries] will select and a group of Republicans, and we’ll work to come and clarify the rules and pass something for not only this Congress but future Congresses as well,” McCarthy said after the vote.
Although the House already operates under a code of conduct, the rules are vague when it comes to lawmakers’ behavior and what constitutes a justifiable offense to be removed from their committee positions. The code’s language simply states that members must “behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.”
However, it does not include language addressing antisemitism or threats toward other lawmakers, making it unclear what specific actions are considered unacceptable.
Omar’s removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee comes after months of repeated pledges from McCarthy to do so as he pointed to her anti-Israel positions over the last four years. McCarthy initially vowed to remove her once the new Congress convened, but the vote was delayed as the House speaker sought to flip some GOP holdouts who were hesitant to oust the Minnesota Democrat.
At least three Republicans initially said they would vote against stripping Omar of her assignment on the Foreign Affairs Committee, including Reps. Ken Buck (CO), Victoria Spartz (IN), and Nancy Mace (SC).
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On Thursday, all present Republicans voted in favor of the resolution, with one GOP member voting “present.” Three Republicans were absent from the vote.
Mace and Buck ultimately agreed to vote in favor of the resolution after making deals with McCarthy to amend the rules dictating the committee removal process. Both lawmakers will be named to the group tasked with rewriting the code of conduct, McCarthy said.
