Sen. Marsha Blackburn called for Rep. IIhan Omar to resign from her seat in Congress following comments Omar made insisting the current economic and political system in the United States be replaced with something more equitable.
“IIhan Omar took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, not shred it,” Blackburn tweeted. “Omar and her Marxist comrades are a threat to our Democracy.”
Ilhan Omar took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, not shred it. Omar and her Marxist comrades are a threat to our Democracy. Omar should resign.https://t.co/ujBGxbWXtR
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 7, 2020
In a speech Tuesday, Omar warned that the current system of government in the U.S. is fundamentally flawed and perpetuates the oppression of minorities and poor people.
“As long as our economy and political systems prioritize profit without considering who is profiting, who is being shut out, we will perpetuate this inequality,” Omar, a Democrat, said. “So, we cannot stop at [the] criminal justice system. We must begin the work of dismantling the whole system of oppression wherever we find it.”
Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, social justice activists have demanded that elected leaders do more to address systemic racism in law enforcement and other areas of society. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have called for police departments nationwide to be defunded and suggested that the current governing systems in the U.S. need to be “burned down” if changes are not made.
Omar is a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, and has aligned herself politically with the so-called “Squad,” which includes leading members of the Democratic Party’s most liberal wing.
Omar, in conjunction with fellow Squad members, on Tuesday introduced the BREATHE Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that would strip federal funding from law enforcement.
Blackburn, a Republican, has been critical of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We are witnessing a movement to wipe out our history, destroy our families, and burn our country to the ground,” Blackburn said. “Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley want to pay states to allow convicted criminals to roam our streets and let MS-13 gangs take over our cities.”
