2021: Schweikert Voted Against Creating An Office To Monitor And Combat Islamophobia To Track And Combat Islamophobia In Foreign Countries. In December 2021, Schweikert voted against the Combating International Islamophobia Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "create an Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia within the State Department, headed by a presidentially-appointed special envoy, to monitor and combat 'acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement' in foreign countries and coordinate related reporting activities." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 219-212. [House Vote 448, 12/14/21; Congressional Quarterly, 12/14/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5665]
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Cited Various Instances Of Islamophobia, Including The Internment Camps Of Uyghurs In China And The Genocide Of The Rohingya People In Burma. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who introduced the bill (HR 5665) aimed at countering Islamophobia across the globe, cited several examples of anti-Muslim violence, including China holding Uyghurs in concentration camps and the Rohingya genocide in Burma." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/9/21]
Several Republicans Argued The Bill Was "Redundant" Since The State Department Has The Democracy, Human Rights And Labor And International Religious Bureaus And The U.S. Commission On Religious Freedom. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Several GOP lawmakers strongly opposed Omar's bill, arguing it was redundant in light of the State Department's existing Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and International Religious Freedom bureaus, as well as the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/9/21]
Congressman Steve Chabot Of Ohio Said The Persecution Of Muslims Was Not Unique And That It Would Not Be Fair To Have One Office Dedicates To Anti-Muslim Violence While Ignoring The Persecution Of Other Religions. According to Congressional Quarterly, "'Sadly, the persecution of Muslims is not unique. As a result, it is difficult to justify a special office dedicated to dealing exclusively with the persecution of Muslims while ignoring the mistreatment and violence directed at many other religions,' Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, said." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/9/21]
Republicans Attempted To Narrow The Scope Of Islamophobia To China And Block Assessment Of Actions By The Israeli Government. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Several GOP amendments, including proposals to narrow the bill to focus only on Islamophobia in China and to block the special envoy's office from assessing any action by the Israeli government, will get roll call votes on Friday, but are unlikely to be adopted." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/9/21]
The Special Envoy To The New Office To Monitor And Combat Islamophobia Would Need To Be Nominated By The President And Confirmed By The Senate. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Florida Republican Brian Mast did secure the panel's vote to add language to the bill to require the special envoy to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/9/21]
House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans Argued That The Bill Was A "Backhanded Effort" To Portray The GOP As Islamophobes For Criticizing Congresswoman Ilhan Omar And Other Muslim Lawmakers. According to Congressional Quarterly, "GOP members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sharply opposed the Minnesota Democrat's legislation, arguing it is everything from redundant to a backhanded effort to paint Republicans critical of her and other Muslim lawmakers as anti-Muslim." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/10/21]
Republicans Argued That Having A Diplomatic Voice To Tackle Anti-Muslim Violence Was Not Necessary. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans made clear they did not view a designated American diplomatic voice to combat Islamophobia as necessary.' [Congressional Quarterly, 12/10/21]
While Discussing The Bill In Committee, Republicans Continued To Bring Up The Need To Combat Anti-Semitism Instead And Brought Up Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's Past Comments Criticizing Israel. According to Congressional Quarterly, "But Republicans continued to stress the need for Congress to fight against anti-Semitism, with GOP Reps. Lee Zeldin of New York and Brian Mast of Florida panning Omar for past remarks she made that were critical of Israel." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/10/21]
Republicans Claimed The Bill Did Not Have A Coherent Definition Of Islamophobia And That A Hearing Was Needed To Have The State Department "Weigh In" On The Bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans argued the bill lacked a clear definition of Islamophobia and that a hearing should have been held for the State Department to weigh in on the legislation." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/14/21]
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Highlighted Examples Of Islamophobia, Including China's Human Rights Violations Against Uyghurs And Former President Donald Trump's Campaign Promise To Prohibit Muslims From Entering The Country. According to The Hill, "She instead pointed to a global trend of anti-Muslim sentiment around the world --- including the Chinese government's alleged abuses against the predominately Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority --- and Trump calling for 'a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States' as a presidential candidate in 2015." [The Hill, 12/14/21]
The Commotion That Led To The Bill's Vote Was A Video Of Congresswoman Lauren Boebert Suggesting Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Could Be A Muslim Terrorist. According to The Hill, "The furor that led to Tuesday's vote began when a video surfaced over the Thanksgiving weekend of Boebert recalling an incident --- which Omar denies ever happened --- when she saw the progressive lawmaker in a Capitol elevator. 'I said, 'Well, she doesn't have a backpack. We should be fine,'' Boebert recalled, drawing laughs from the audience. 'And I said, 'Oh, look, the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.''" [The Hill, 12/14/21]
During The Debate On The Bill, Congressman Perry Of Pennsylvania Accused Congresswoman Omar Of Holding Anti-Semitic Views And Being Affiliated With Terrorist Groups. According to The Hill, "And during debate on the legislation, Democrats objected to remarks from Rep. Perry (R-Pa.) in which he accused Omar of being antisemitic and affiliated with terrorist organizations. 'American taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay terrorist organizations, organizations that the maker of this bill is affiliated with,' Schweikert said, before Democrats asked for his remarks to be taken down." [The Hill, 12/14/21]
Congressman Michael McCaul Of Texas Argued That The Executive Branch Could "Crack Down In Protected Speech" Because The Bill Lacked A Thorough Definition Of Islamophobia. According to Politico, "Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he supports the 'spirit and intent' of the bill. But he raised concerns that it could empower executive branch officials to crack down on protected speech because the word 'Islamophobia' isn't defined in the legislation. 'It's so vague and subjective that it could be used against legitimate speech for partisan purposes,' McCaul said on the House floor." [Politico, 12/14/21]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Requiring The State Department To Report Annually On Violence Against Muslims, Propaganda Justifying Racism And Violence Against Muslims, Governmental Attempts To Promote Tolerance Of Muslims, And Instances Of Forced Labor, Reeducation Or Concertation Camps. In December 2021, Schweikert voted against the Combating International Islamophobia Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "expand requirements for annual department reports related to human rights and religious freedom to include information regarding Islamophobia, including to describe the nature and extent of instances of physical violence and harassment against Muslims; instances of propaganda promoting or justifying 'racial hatred' or violence against Muslims; government actions to protect religious freedoms and promote tolerance of Muslims; and instances of forced labor, reeducation or concentration camps such as those targeting Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 219-212. [House Vote 448, 12/14/21; Congressional Quarterly, 12/14/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5665]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Forbidding Funds Of This Bill From Being Used To Impose A Muslim Ban Nor Endorse The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement Against Israel. In December 2021, Schweikert voted against the Combating International Islamophobia Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit funds made available pursuant to the bill from being used to promote or endorse the ideology of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel or to promote or endorse a 'Muslim ban,' such as former President Trump's order restricting travel from certain Muslim-majority countries." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 219-212. [House Vote 448, 12/14/21; Congressional Quarterly, 12/14/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5665]
2021: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against The Combating International Islamophobia Act. In December 2021, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the "adoption of the rule (H Res 849) that would provide for House floor consideration of the bill that would create a State Department office to monitor and combat international Islamophobia (HR 5665). The rule would provide for up to one hour of debate on the bill. It would also provide for automatic adoption of the Meeks, D-N.Y., manager's amendment to the bill that would make technical corrections to accurately refer to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China." The vote was on the adoption of the rule. The House adopted the rule by a vote of 219-213. [House Vote 444, 12/14/21; Congressional Quarterly, 12/14/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5665; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 849]
2021: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against The Combating International Islamophobia Act. In December 2021, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the "motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 849) that would provide for House floor consideration of the bill that would create a State Department office to monitor and combat international Islamophobia (HR 5665). The rule would provide for up to one hour of debate on the bill. It would also provide for automatic adoption of the Meeks, D-N.Y., manager's amendment to the bill that would make technical corrections to accurately refer to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 220-210. [House Vote 443, 12/14/21; Congressional Quarterly, 12/14/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5665; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 849]