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As the saga drags on, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the first Jewish member of Congress elected in the Sunshine State, said it is “pretty outrageous” that Congress has to craft a resolution to “spell out for people across this country what anti-Semitism means.”

“The purpose of a resolution like this is to educate people about what anti-Semitism means, how harmful and hurtful it is,” Wasserman Schultz said. “And because you have some members who either repeatedly or individually continued to use anti-Semitic tropes – and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it’s unknowing – then apparently we do need to put a resolution on the floor that educates people about how harmful and hurtful anti-Semitism is.”

After amplifying the disagreement through a series of tweets, even tangling publicly with House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, Omar has shunned reporters who have sought to learn more about her position.

The controversy has even spilled over into the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a long floor speech Wednesday morning denouncing Omar’s “crude, hateful, and backward anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

“This Democratic Congresswoman already stoked controversy in mid-February, having publicly proclaimed that Israel’s supporters are only in it for the money. Apparently, she believes the only reason leaders would stand with the Jewish people and the State of Israel is Jewish money,' he said.

\"Well, I think we have all heard that kind of talk before. And we must not tolerate it,” McConnell, R-Ky., said. “This time, she claims that supporters of Israel actually have, quote, ‘an allegiance to a foreign country.’ There’s that ugly, old ‘dual loyalty’ smear. Plain as day.”

While Republicans appear somewhat entertained by the disorder in the Democratic caucus, McConnell acknowledged that Omar’s rhetoric has also “provoked offensive anti-Muslim comments in response.”

“That is hateful and completely inexcusable as well,” McConnell conceded.

Jayapal questioned the need to vote on the resolution, shooting back at Republicans “who just want to use this as a wedge issue but don’t necessarily call out anti-Semitism on their own side.”

“We are so strongly against anti-Semitism. We have said that before. I don’t know how many times we need to continue to say that,” she said. “What is the purpose of this, why are we doing this, and can we make sure that it is broad enough that it also addresses some of the other forms of bigotry and racism that we are seeing.”

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has aggressively defended Omar through more than 20 tweets on the subject to over 3.4 million followers since Saturday, including one directly challenging one of her Democratic colleague’s tweets. Tuesday, she contended the debate advances white supremacy.

None of this is “whataboutism.” Racism and bigotry of all forms is inextricably linked.

When you don’t address them as a system and attempt to pick them apart as though they are distinct and separable issues, eventually the thing that gets advanced is white supremacy + classism.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 6, 2019

Rep. Juan Vargas, whose condemnation of Omar’s comments on Twitter prompted an initial tirade of tweets from Ocasio-Cortez, indicated he does not believe there’ll be lasting beef with the new progressive superstar, telling ABC the dustup is “not that big of a deal to me.”

“She could have come down the hall and asked me what my opinion is. That would have been fine,” Vargas, D-Calif., said. “But I mean, I think it’s fine. We have a very different opinion here, I believe. To question someone’s loyalty because they’re Jewish, I think is terrible. I think it’s something we shouldn’t question at all.”

“This dual loyalty charge has led to the mass murder of millions of Jews in history. I’m not sure that everyone understands how grave this issue is, frankly,” Vargas continued. “We have to stand up and fight it each and every time it comes up in the strongest way possible. That’s my belief. If AOC has a different view, she can have a different view. That’s my view and I’ll stand behind that every time.”

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