Ken Buck joins other Republicans rejecting plan to oust Omar from committee

Another Republican appears to have abandoned Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in his quest to remove Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her prestigious committee spot.

Ken Buck (R-CO) told Meet the Press on Friday that he doesn’t think the speaker should be punishing Omar as a response to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi removing Republicans from their committees in the last Congress.

“I think that we should not engage in this tit for tat,” Buck said. “I am opposed to the removal of congresswoman Omar from committees.”

McCarthy promised to boot Omar as well as his fellow Californians, Reps. Eric Swalwell (D) and Adam Schiff (D) from their respective committees if he earned the speaker’s gavel. After a bruising 15-ballot saga that resulted in his earning the top spot in the House, he made good and removed Swalwell and Schiff from their posts on the Intelligence Committee.