Ilhan Omar made history as one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress (alongside Michigan's Rashida Tlaib). The representative won't start work for another three months but is already hitting the ground running, taking meetings in D.C. and working to change House rules.
According to HuffPost, Omar plans to fight a 181-year-old ban on head coverings on the House floor.
“No one puts a scarf on my head but me,” the Minnesota Representative-elect wrote. “It’s my choice ― one protected by the First Amendment.”
Omar's statement comes after Democrats announced plans to alter the House rule, which prohibits Congress members from wearing hats on the floor, The Washington Post reports.
Current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) are co-authoring the new rules along with the Somalia-born congresswoman-elect. In addition to allowing religious headwear (which Omar wears), their proposal includes creating an independent diversity office and explicitly banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The old House rule was implemented in 1837 and has since been modified to read, “Every member shall remain uncovered during the sessions of the House.”
According to People, the rule was created by early Congressmen to differentiate the U.S.' legislature from that of the United Kingdom.
Omar has said she plans to lift other bans as well, although she hasn't yet specified which ones. Regardless, this is a great start.
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