Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a resolution this week seeking to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and remove the Minnesota Democrat from her House committee assignments after Omar reposted critical commentary about Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk following his killing.
Mace’s measure would remove Omar from the Education and the Workforce Committee and the Budget Committee and describes the congresswoman as having "defended political violence" in the wake of the shooting. The resolution is the second-most severe disciplinary step available in the House after expulsion and, if passed, would require Omar to stand in the chamber’s well while the resolution’s text is read aloud to members.
The measure cites comments and videos that Omar reposted to her roughly 1.2 million followers on X. According to those reposts, Omar amplified a clip that called Kirk a "reprehensible human being" and a "terrorist" and wrote, "Don't be fooled, these people don’t give a single s*** about Charlie Kirk, they are just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda." Omar also told the podcast Zeteo that people praising Kirk's legacy were "full of s***" and that it was important to "call them out while we feel anger and sadness," comments the resolution cites.
Omar has pushed back, saying the censure effort misrepresents her conduct and contains no direct quote she made. "Fun fact: Nancy Mace is trying to censure me over comments I never said. Her res[olution] does not contain a single quote from me because she couldn’t find any," Omar wrote on X. She added that she has "routinely condemned political violence, no matter the political ideology," and called the effort a political fundraising ploy tied to Mace’s gubernatorial ambitions.
The controversy stems from the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking to an audience of about 3,000 people, an event authorities have described as a politically motivated plot. A day after the killing, Omar reposted and commented on material critical of Kirk, prompting outrage from Mace and other Republicans.
The two members have exchanged pointed public remarks since the resolution was announced. Mace on Wednesday said, "If you celebrate murder, maybe Somalia can take you back," a comment Omar answered on X by writing, "I know you aren’t well or smart but I hope someone can explain to you that there isn’t a correlation between my committee assignments and deportation." Omar added that regardless of committee action, she would remain in Congress.
Mace’s resolution is expected to come to the House floor as soon as this week. House leadership on both sides has publicly urged members to reduce incendiary rhetoric following the killing and the subsequent political backlash. While censure has been used sparingly over the institution’s history — the House has recorded 28 censures — it has been employed more frequently in recent years, with five censures occurring since November 2021. Earlier this year Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was censured for interrupting the president during a joint session of Congress.
Previous attempts to censure members have at times failed when some members of the accused lawmaker’s party, and in rare instances members of the other party, declined to support the measure. A recent censure attempt targeting Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., failed after some Republicans sided with Democrats, according to members familiar with that vote.
Democrats have also signaled their willingness to pursue reciprocal disciplinary measures. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, filed a resolution this week to censure Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., citing allegations of sexual misconduct, domestic violence and stolen valor. That resolution would not remove committee roles and is likewise expected to be considered this week.
House aides and lawmakers say the competing censure moves reflect heightened partisan tensions on Capitol Hill following the deadly attack. The outcome of Mace’s measure will depend on whether enough members of either party defect or cross party lines; the resolution’s sponsors have acknowledged the politically charged environment but said they view censure as an appropriate response to what they describe as the amplification of rhetoric that condones political violence.
Omar’s allies have defended her record of condemning violence and warned against punitive measures that target lawmakers for amplifying third-party material on social platforms. GOP supporters of the resolution argue that reposting material that celebrates or justifies violence warrants formal House sanction. The House Ethics Committee typically advises and investigates complex misconduct matters, but censure resolutions can be brought directly to the floor by members.
As the House prepares to consider multiple disciplinary measures, members across the aisle reiterated calls for calmer rhetoric and emphasized the need to ensure the safety of public officials and the public amid a charged political climate.