Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Monday filed a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and remove her from her House committee assignments, accusing Omar of making "vile" remarks that mocked the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and effectively blamed him for his own death.
In a statement announcing the measure, Mace said Omar had "defended political violence and refuse[d] to condemn the loss of innocent lives when it doesn't suit her agenda," and argued that lawmakers who "mock a political assassination and celebrate murder" should lose committee privileges and face consequences.
Mace's resolution points to comments Omar made one day after Kirk was shot. In an interview with the progressive outlet Zeteo on Sept. 11, Omar criticized the public response to Kirk's death, saying, "These people are full of s—t and it's important for us to call them out while we feel anger and sadness." Omar also posted a separate video on X in which she described Kirk as a "reprehensible human being" and called him a "stochastic terrorist," and criticized Democrats and celebrities for what she characterized as normalizing him.
Mace's office said those remarks and social media posts "demeaned Charlie Kirk, belittled his grieving family, and all but blamed him for his own assassination." The resolution calls for a full House vote on censuring Omar and would require her to stand in the well of the House and be reprimanded by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if the measure passes. It also seeks to remove Omar from the House Budget Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee.
If the measure advances to the floor and is approved, Omar would become the 29th member of Congress to be formally censured. Earlier this year, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was the subject of a bipartisan censure for disruptions during a presidential address. In 2023, lawmakers including former Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) were censured for separate actions.
Mace’s move places the dispute over Omar’s remarks within a long-standing House practice for disciplining members for conduct the chamber deems unacceptable. The censure process requires majority approval on the floor and is a formal statement of disapproval that is less severe than expulsion but can include removal from committee posts.
Omar’s office did not respond to a request for comment. The resolution’s filing sets the stage for potential debate and a House vote in the coming days or weeks, depending on the Republican leadership’s decision to bring the measure to the floor.