A spat that began last week between conservative Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., escalated during a contentious Monday phone call.
The two lawmakers spoke after Boebert was accused of making Islamophobic remarks suggesting Omar could be a terrorist, The Hill reported.
Boebert issued an apology Friday "to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar." She also sought to speak with Omar directly.
That happened Monday, though the conversation got heated.
"I had reached out to [Omar] Friday and three days later I was able to connect with her on the phone because I wanted to let her know directly that I had reflected on my previous remarks," Boebert said in a Monday video tweet.
"As a strong Christian woman, who values faith deeply, I never want anything I say to offend someone’s religion. So, I told her that. Even after I put out a public statement to that effect, she said that she still wanted a public apology because what I had done wasn’t good enough. So I reiterated to her what I had just said.
"She kept asking for a public apology. So I told Ilhan Omar that she should make a public apology to the American people for her anti-American, antisemitic, anti-police rhetoric. She continued to press, and I continued to press back. And then Rep. Omar hung up on me."
Omar tweeted a statement saying that she had accepted Boebert’s call "in the hope of receiving a direct apology for falsely claiming she met me in an elevator, suggesting I was a terrorist, and for a history of anti-Muslim hate."
"Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies, Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments. She instead doubled down on her rhetoric and I decided to end the unproductive call," Omar said in her statement.
"I believe in engaging with those we disagree with respectfully, but not when that disagreement is rooted in outright bigotry and hate."
The controversy between Omar and Boebert began after a video surfaced over the Thanksgiving weekend of the Colorado representative saying she saw a Capitol Police officer racing toward her and a staffer as they were getting on an elevator.
Boebert then turned and saw Omar standing nearby.
"I said, 'Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine,'" Boebert said. "And I said, 'Oh, look. The 'jihad squad' decided to show up for work today.'"
Omar denied that the incident occurred and accused Boebert of fabricating a story to smear her.
The situation is the latest controversy involving conservative and progressive lawmakers.
The House this year formally punished Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., for their actions.
Gosar two weeks ago was censured and removed from committee assignments after posting an edited anime video depicting himself killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Taylor Greene earlier this year was removed from committee assignments for comments made after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The Hill reported that Democrats, however, didn’t appear ready to formally punish Boebert.
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