WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 President Joe Biden was winding up for a speech at a Minnesota clean energy facility when he spotted a lawmaker in the crowd whom he wanted to recognize.
鈥淚 want to thank you for being here,鈥 Biden said, gesturing toward during his recent visit. 鈥淵ou never stop working to level the playing field for everybody.鈥
For Omar, the quick flash of praise from Biden 鈥 who was neither her first nor second choice to be the party's 2020 White House nominee 鈥 was more than just a courtesy shout-out during a presidential visit to her suburban Minneapolis district. It was a recognition of how far Omar has come after a rocky start to her political career that at times made her standing with Democrats appear tenuous.
As she settles into her third term, Omar is no longer defined by the 鈥渇irsts鈥 that accompanied her arrival in Congress: one of the first Muslim women in the House, the first refugee from Africa elected to the House, the first lawmaker to wear a hijab while on the House floor.
In interviews with nearly a dozen Democrats in the House and Senate, lawmakers portray Omar as a serious legislator who in the past four years has earned admiration for giving voice to marginalized groups often forgotten on Capitol Hill.
The best example of this came in early February when every single House Democrat voted against a over her
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e been successful in making the Democratic caucus, Democratic Party, Democratic establishment to get to a place where they are able to see me fully, for all of the multiple identities I am a first for and not just to see and celebrate it but to defend it,鈥 Omar told The Associated Press.
In the debate over her committee seat, many of Omar鈥檚 fellow Democrats, including those of Jewish descent, spoke out in the chamber about what they said was hypocrisy from the new Republican majority.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need any of you to defend me against antisemitism,鈥 said Rep. Jan Shakowsky, D-Ill. 鈥淢y friend Ilhan Omar and I have worked together toward the values that I treasure as an American Jew and that she treasures as an American Islamic woman, the only one on the Foreign Affairs Committee.鈥
Democrats called it payback because they had used their majority in the last Congress to for their s. But the emotionally charged floor debate over Omar was a departure from the bipartisan outrage she faced in her first year in office. At that time, Democrats were confronted by the reality that comes with diverse viewpoints when Omar 鈥 showing less deference to the party line 鈥 .
It began with social media posts in which Omar criticized pro-Israel lobbyist groups and questioned the loyalty of Jewish lawmakers who pushed back against her criticisms of the Israeli government.
Omar apologized for her comments at the time, both privately to her Jewish colleagues and publicly. She said what she was questioning was the influence game in Washington and voicing her concern that anything she said about Israel and its treatment of Palestinians would be construed as antisemitic.
In response, top Democrats began to draft a resolution that would have condemned antisemitism, with an early version even mentioning Omar by name. At the time, only a handful of Democrats inside and outside of Congress came to her defense.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the highest-ranking progressive in Congress, said in April 2019 that Omar may 鈥渘eed to do a better job speaking to the Jewish community,鈥 but that 鈥渋t is not antisemitic to be critical of a right-wing government in Israel.鈥
Ben Rhodes, who was President Barack Obama鈥檚 deputy national security adviser, said that after meeting Omar early in her career, it was clear that she wanted to use her background to push for structural change in foreign policy.
鈥淭here are plenty of people in Congress that can represent the kind of established view of American foreign policy whether it鈥檚 on the Middle East or whether it鈥檚 on military policy,鈥 Rhodes said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a desperate need for unconventional thinking and different perspectives, and that鈥檚 what she brings.鈥
included condemnation of anti-Muslim bias but did not mention of Omar鈥檚 name. For the next several years, the former state legislator focused on bringing attention to issues that affected immigrants and families both back in her district and across Minnesota. And she gained support from various factions of the party as a result.
鈥淭he more time I鈥檝e spent with her the more I鈥檝e come to appreciate her perspective, the more I鈥檝e come to realize how important her voice is to represent not just our community in Minnesota, not just in our country but many around the world,鈥 Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., another Jewish member of Congress. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about agreeing. This building was not built for agreement. It was built to manage disagreement. And I鈥檇 like to think that she and I can be the perfect example of that.鈥
Omar began to move up the ranks in the Congressional Progressive Caucus 鈥 one of the largest ideological caucuses in the House. She become the vote counter for the caucus chair, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., in the last Congress as progressives helped pave the way for Biden's agenda to pass the House and Senate.
In January, Omar was chosen by more than 100 members to serve as deputy caucus chair.
鈥淪he鈥檚 not gonna stop using her voice,鈥 Jayapal said. 鈥淪he鈥檒l continue to use her voice on foreign affairs issues. Just kicking her off a committee is not going to silence her. She鈥檚 way too strong for that.鈥
Omar, who was born in Somalia, is now embarking on a new chapter 鈥渁s a minority, in the minority," helping Biden and the Democratic Party provide a split screen to Republican control by highlighting the implementation of several legislative achievements made in the past two years, including the infrastructure law.
鈥淏eing taken off the committee is not a pleasant experience. But I think she鈥檚 gonna turn it into a real blessing,鈥 said Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who was an early supporter of Omar and is a member of the House Democratic leadership team.
Omar is also chairing a newly formed Africa policy working group, where she and more than a dozen House Democrats will focus on issues concerning the continent.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 agree on everything,鈥 said Rep. Sara Jacobs, one of the group's members. "But we share a similar worldview, especially when it comes to the African continent, where we鈥檙e both really focused on U.S. engagement, not leading with our military, but actually leading with diplomacy and centering our values on human rights and promoting good governance."
While many voiced concerns that her removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee would effectively silence her on foreign policy, Omar said Republicans badly miscalculated, given that she was assigned to the House Budget Committee as a replacement.
鈥淭his is why I joke about the fact that Republicans taking me off the Foreign Affairs Committee essentially meant that they were promoting me,鈥 Omar said.
鈥淏ecause we will have the opportunity not only to address investments in regards to our foreign policy with development, defense, and diplomacy, but we will also be able to have more of a say as part as the discussions move forward in regards to our own defense budget.鈥
