Watch CBS News

Rep. Ilhan Omar Will Sit On Foreign Affairs, Education And Labor Committees

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Rep. Ilhan Omar has been appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the 116th Congress.

The announcement was made on Wednesday night by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, just days after Omar was named to the Education and Labor Committee.

Omar posted to Twitter on Thursday that the Foreign Affairs Committee was her first pick.

"As someone who has seen firsthand the havoc wreaked by war, I am proud to serve on the committee that is responsible for overseeing our country's— and this President's—actions abroad," Omar said. "This couldn't come at a more critical time. We need to use the committee's human rights jurisdiction to hold the President accountable for deaths in detention centers on his watch."

RELATED: Ilhan Omar, The 1st Somali-American Elected To Congress, Seeks To Make U.S. More Welcoming

Omar will also sit on the Education and Labor Committee -- which focuses on not only preschool to higher education programs, but also oversees labor initiatives, including minimum wage.

"I am honored to serve on a committee that can make a tangible difference in Minnesotans' everyday lives," Rep. Omar said. "In order to build an economy that works for everyone, we need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, enact stronger workplace safety laws, support workers' right to collectively bargain and create a federal jobs guarantee program."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.