Reps.-elect Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) at freshmen orientation on Capitol Hill last month. (Photo: @JossieValentin/Twitter)
Dec 06, 2018
Incoming Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Friday reminded a right-wing pastor and others who would lament the new cultural diversity of the U.S. Congress that the 2018 midterm elections simply gave Americans--particularly Democratic voters and progressives--the representation they asked for in Washington: the kind that looked like America.
After conservative minister and radio host E.W. Jackson delivered an Islamophobic rant on his show on Wednesday, decrying Omar's status as one of the first Muslim women to be elected to Congress and warning that the Capitol is turning into a "institution of Sharia law," the current state legislator replied simply that the pastor would "have to just deal."
\u201cWell sir, the floor of Congress is going to look like America... \n\nAnd you\u2019re gonna have to just deal \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1544159265
Omar is one of two Muslim women who were elected to the U.S. House in the midterms, along with Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Omar came to the U.S. as a refugee after fleeing Somalia with her family at the age of eight.
Progressive groups have celebrated the diverse slate of representatives who were elected to the House in 2018. Groups including Women's March have dubbed the midterms the "Women's Wave" thanks to the 37 Democratic women who were elected to national positions, including 13 women of color. Reps.-elect Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) are the country's first two Native American members of Congress.
Other life experiences, economic realities, and racial and gender identities will also see new representation in the Congress that convenes in January. Tlaib is a single mother, while Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spoken openly about her student loan payments and her relatively meager savings account compared to those of wealthy corporate-aligned politicians.
A number of the new representatives have spoken since the election about the newly diverse Congress and the value in ensuring that Americans are represented by people with a wide array of cultural backgrounds and experiences.
\u201cProud to be part of this amazing and diverse class. #WeThePeople\u201d— Deb Haaland (@Deb Haaland) 1544117493
\u201cThe 116th Congress will be the most diverse by race and gender in our country\u2019s history. Together, we\u2019re changing the face of AMERICAN politics.\u201d— Sharice Davids (@Sharice Davids) 1543937313
\u201cAh yes, God forbid a diverse, working-class district (that more accurately represents modern America) actually have equal say in our democracy as your weird uncle with questionable racial beliefs who shares fake conspiracy memes on Facebook.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1542634157
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Incoming Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Friday reminded a right-wing pastor and others who would lament the new cultural diversity of the U.S. Congress that the 2018 midterm elections simply gave Americans--particularly Democratic voters and progressives--the representation they asked for in Washington: the kind that looked like America.
After conservative minister and radio host E.W. Jackson delivered an Islamophobic rant on his show on Wednesday, decrying Omar's status as one of the first Muslim women to be elected to Congress and warning that the Capitol is turning into a "institution of Sharia law," the current state legislator replied simply that the pastor would "have to just deal."
\u201cWell sir, the floor of Congress is going to look like America... \n\nAnd you\u2019re gonna have to just deal \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1544159265
Omar is one of two Muslim women who were elected to the U.S. House in the midterms, along with Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Omar came to the U.S. as a refugee after fleeing Somalia with her family at the age of eight.
Progressive groups have celebrated the diverse slate of representatives who were elected to the House in 2018. Groups including Women's March have dubbed the midterms the "Women's Wave" thanks to the 37 Democratic women who were elected to national positions, including 13 women of color. Reps.-elect Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) are the country's first two Native American members of Congress.
Other life experiences, economic realities, and racial and gender identities will also see new representation in the Congress that convenes in January. Tlaib is a single mother, while Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spoken openly about her student loan payments and her relatively meager savings account compared to those of wealthy corporate-aligned politicians.
A number of the new representatives have spoken since the election about the newly diverse Congress and the value in ensuring that Americans are represented by people with a wide array of cultural backgrounds and experiences.
\u201cProud to be part of this amazing and diverse class. #WeThePeople\u201d— Deb Haaland (@Deb Haaland) 1544117493
\u201cThe 116th Congress will be the most diverse by race and gender in our country\u2019s history. Together, we\u2019re changing the face of AMERICAN politics.\u201d— Sharice Davids (@Sharice Davids) 1543937313
\u201cAh yes, God forbid a diverse, working-class district (that more accurately represents modern America) actually have equal say in our democracy as your weird uncle with questionable racial beliefs who shares fake conspiracy memes on Facebook.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1542634157
Incoming Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Friday reminded a right-wing pastor and others who would lament the new cultural diversity of the U.S. Congress that the 2018 midterm elections simply gave Americans--particularly Democratic voters and progressives--the representation they asked for in Washington: the kind that looked like America.
After conservative minister and radio host E.W. Jackson delivered an Islamophobic rant on his show on Wednesday, decrying Omar's status as one of the first Muslim women to be elected to Congress and warning that the Capitol is turning into a "institution of Sharia law," the current state legislator replied simply that the pastor would "have to just deal."
\u201cWell sir, the floor of Congress is going to look like America... \n\nAnd you\u2019re gonna have to just deal \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1544159265
Omar is one of two Muslim women who were elected to the U.S. House in the midterms, along with Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Omar came to the U.S. as a refugee after fleeing Somalia with her family at the age of eight.
Progressive groups have celebrated the diverse slate of representatives who were elected to the House in 2018. Groups including Women's March have dubbed the midterms the "Women's Wave" thanks to the 37 Democratic women who were elected to national positions, including 13 women of color. Reps.-elect Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) are the country's first two Native American members of Congress.
Other life experiences, economic realities, and racial and gender identities will also see new representation in the Congress that convenes in January. Tlaib is a single mother, while Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spoken openly about her student loan payments and her relatively meager savings account compared to those of wealthy corporate-aligned politicians.
A number of the new representatives have spoken since the election about the newly diverse Congress and the value in ensuring that Americans are represented by people with a wide array of cultural backgrounds and experiences.
\u201cProud to be part of this amazing and diverse class. #WeThePeople\u201d— Deb Haaland (@Deb Haaland) 1544117493
\u201cThe 116th Congress will be the most diverse by race and gender in our country\u2019s history. Together, we\u2019re changing the face of AMERICAN politics.\u201d— Sharice Davids (@Sharice Davids) 1543937313
\u201cAh yes, God forbid a diverse, working-class district (that more accurately represents modern America) actually have equal say in our democracy as your weird uncle with questionable racial beliefs who shares fake conspiracy memes on Facebook.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1542634157
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