Florida Republican Representative Randy Fine has indicated that he is considering introducing a resolution that would force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to expel Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar. Fine said the potential effort would be based on long-standing allegations that Omar once married her brother to help him gain immigration benefits, along with what he described as her “general embrace of Muslim terror.”
“I don’t think she should be a citizen, let alone a member of Congress,” Fine said while discussing the possibility. He added that if he decides to pursue the effort, he would formally introduce legislation rather than simply talking about it publicly. “I’m not going to send fundraising emails asking for her expulsion. If I’m going to do it, you’ll see me bring the paperwork to the floor,” Fine stated, noting that he is actively weighing the option.
Fine’s remarks came after Omar’s campaign circulated a fundraising email calling for Fine himself to be expelled from Congress. The message referenced previous controversial statements he made in which he said Muslims should be “destroyed,” comments that have drawn strong criticism from Democrats and advocacy groups.
Under the rules of the House of Representatives, expelling a sitting member requires a two-thirds vote of the chamber. Because Republicans currently hold only a narrow majority in the House, such an effort would require substantial Democratic support to succeed. In practical terms, at least 85 Democratic members would have to vote alongside Republicans for the expulsion to pass, making the threshold extremely difficult to reach.
Omar has also faced renewed scrutiny in recent weeks over a large fraud investigation connected to the Minnesota nonprofit “Feeding Our Future.” Authorities have alleged that the organization was involved in a scheme that misused federal funds intended to provide meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors say the fraud may total roughly $250 million, making it one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the United States.
The program operated under rules expanded during the pandemic, partly through legislation known as the Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students Act, or MEALS Act. The bill allowed states to distribute free meals to children when schools were closed, including through alternative methods such as grab-and-go food distribution sites. It also loosened some eligibility requirements to ensure more families could receive assistance during the emergency.
When asked earlier this month whether she regretted supporting the MEALS Act because of the fraud that later emerged, Omar defended the legislation. Speaking to a reporter from Fox News, she responded, “Absolutely not. It helped feed kids.” Omar has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the law was designed to address urgent needs during the pandemic.
The issue has also drawn comments from former President Donald Trump, who has criticized Omar sharply in recent weeks. During public remarks, Trump referred to the congresswoman in harsh terms and raised broader concerns about immigration from countries he described as “Third World nations,” including Somalia, where Omar was born before immigrating to the United States as a child.
“I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you,” Trump said during one speech. “Some people will say that’s not politically correct, but I don’t care.” He went on to argue that certain immigrants bring problems with them and continued criticizing Omar personally, saying her associates were “garbage” and claiming they do nothing but complain rather than contribute.
Meanwhile, Omar is also facing political pressure at home from Republican challenger John Nagel, who is running against her in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Nagel has argued that Omar bears some responsibility for creating the conditions that allowed the Feeding Our Future fraud to occur, citing her support for pandemic relief legislation.
“Where did this actually start?” Nagel said in comments reported by Townhall. “She passed legislation. Her legislation helped create the system that allowed people to get involved in Feeding Our Future.”
Nagel also pointed to the geographic concentration of the alleged fraud cases, noting that many of them occurred within Omar’s congressional district in Minneapolis. “If you look at where most of the fraud took place, it’s primarily in the district she represents,” he said. “It seems strange that such a large amount of fraud would be centered in one area.”
Omar introduced the MEALS Act during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to expand access to food assistance for children while schools were closed. The measure ultimately passed Congress with bipartisan support, meaning members from both parties voted in favor of it.
Nagel has additionally alleged that people connected to Omar’s political network benefited financially from the Feeding Our Future scheme. He pointed to campaign events Omar held at Safari Restaurant, a business that has been mentioned in connection with the investigation. According to Nagel, Omar was familiar with one of the restaurant’s owners, who has since been convicted in relation to the fraud case.
Despite the accusations, Omar has denied involvement in any illegal activity and continues to defend both the legislation and her record. The investigations into Feeding Our Future are ongoing, and prosecutors have charged dozens of individuals as part of the expanding case.
