Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) may not have the votes to keep Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) off the House Foreign Affairs Committee, The Hill reports. The new speaker wants to block her from the committee because of her criticism of the Israeli government and its human rights record, which some Republicans say has crossed the line into antisemitism. With Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) and Nancy Mace (R-SC) ready to vote in favor of Omar’s appointment to the committee, and Rep. Gregory Stube (R-FL) out after falling from a ladder on his property, McCarthy may be short of a majority of the full House to block her appointment.

McCarthy’s gambit to block Democrats off key committees after negotiating deals with certain Republican members to procure enough votes to become speaker began Tuesday when he blocked Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swallwell (both D-CA) from the House Intelligence Committee.

•••

Interested in discussing political news in a safe, civil media environment? What are your thoughts on these and other recent political stories and issues? Go to the Comments section in this column, or the one in the right column if that’s how you lean, or email editors@thehustings.news and type “for the left column” or “for the right column” in the subject line.