House responds to GOP’s Boebert with Islamophobia bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has delivered its first formal response to Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert’s anti-Muslim remarks by passing a bill to tackle Islamophobia worldwide.

Tuesday’s vote comes weeks after Boebert cracked an Islamophobic joke about Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Muslim. It wasn’t the first time Boebert, a Colorado conservative, derided Omar of Minnesota.

Democratic leaders refrained from more punitive measures, saying Republican leaders should handle it, but that appears unlikely.

The bill would establish a State Department position to combat Islamophobia.