Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the trailblazing congresswoman representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, recently conducted an exclusive one-on-one interview with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) newspaper. The newspaper is a historic publication celebrating its countdown to its 90th year of amplifying the voices of marginalized communities of color.
As one of the first Muslim women to serve in the U.S. Congress, Omar has been a vocal advocate for progressive policies and social justice initiatives, prioritizing the needs of underrepresented populations. During her conversation with MSR, the congresswoman delved into a range of pressing issues, from racial equality and women’s reproductive rights to health care access and economic equity.
As a prominent figure in American politics, her insights and perspectives on these crucial matters hold significant weight and relevance, particularly within the context of a challenging political climate marked by deep partisan divisions and ongoing struggles for equality and justice. Her candid engagement with the MSR offers our readers an opportunity to better understand her local, national, and global efforts and to learn what she is passionate about.
MSR: What’s happening in your district?
IO: A lot is going on in the 5th Congressional District. We just announced our Funding Friday Series. We were able to secure over $12 million and fund 15 projects; this brings our funding totals to over $54 million, funding 50 projects across the district. Like bringing a million dollars to Shiloh’s food shelf [and] to NEON, an amazing initiative where they are trying to create an amazing commercial kitchen for entrepreneurs, as well as getting resources for Sabathani as they are trying to renovate this beautiful legacy of a building.
We’ve also funded affordable multifamily projects and got funding to help with the governor’s initiative to end homelessness for veterans. There is a beautiful project happening in Robbinsdale, with an old house that will be renovated.
MSR: What of business initiatives?
IO: There are a lot of small business initiatives that we are funding; the Incubator is one of those projects.
MSR: The Democrats seem to have a winning hand with their stance on Women’s Reproductive Rights, but not so much when it comes to the president’s handling of the issues in Gaza. What do you see as the next Congressional move on that issue?
IO: The citizens of this country seem to always get policy correct before members of Congress. We’ve seen a major rallying cry to end the onslaught that the people of Gaza are experiencing.
Over 30,000 people have been killed [and] dozens have died of starvation because aid is not getting in. Over 80% of infrastructure has been destroyed in Gaza, 1.5 million people are displaced in Rafah, and over 70% of those killed so far are women and children.
And so we want to see an end to this massacre and have called for a permanent cease-fire, but we know that has to be negotiated in good faith, so we are asking our administration to be a neutral party to this so they can work to release the hostages, of which we know there is an infant and some Americans currently held. Again, we hope that members of Congress will lead with humanity.
We witnessed majority leader Chuck Schumer make an incredible speech on the House floor talking about how Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is not a partner in creating peace, and he’s destroying the credibility of Israel, threatening the viability of its global partnerships.
Schumer seemed to allude that he may be willing to condition aid if Israel doesn’t change its course, which is a position that many of us have held for a while. So we are seeing some movement, but it’s just words for now. But we’d love to see some action.
MSR: Last year you took some heat for comments made about Israel, and you, your family, and staff faced serious threats; how common are these types of threats?
IO: I happen to be one of the members of Congress with a high level of death threats, and for a long time I had the kind of detail that Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer and others who were in leadership naturally get because of their positions, and that is not afforded to the rest of Congress. But because of the special threats that I experienced and the number of people now incarcerated because they threatened my life and my family, this has become an alarming trend now being experienced by other members of Congress.
But I know that the Capitol Police Sergeant of Arms takes these threats seriously. I’m grateful to the FBI for constantly investigating and to the DOJ for prosecuting said instances.
MSR: We have attacks on civil rights, voting rights, things like affirmative action reversals, the drawing of questionable district lines, and gerrymandering. What’s a Congressional action plan to help right these wrongs?
IO: Yes, as you are aware, the Congressional Black Caucus has been leading the charge in defending and expanding voting rights. We have introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and we’re all co-sponsors and leads on what we call HR-1, our Democracy Act.
We have been aggressive in suing states when they draw unconstitutional lines. We’ve been successful in Alabama in working toward an additional seat that could be won by a Black member of our party. We’ve done the same thing in Louisiana, where we got an extra seat.
There’s a lawsuit in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and other states that we think we can be successful, but also I think we are at a disadvantage because of the makeup of the Supreme Court. Republicans have been patiently working for 50 years to gut civil rights and women’s rights protections, and to dismantle the democracy that so many people have fought for us to have.
I had the honor of serving with John Lewis for a term and a half. We were pretty close; he was an incredible human being. He would tell me all the time that the pace we were going and the pace they [the GOP] were going did not align, and we had to be more vigilant and more active.
Because oftentimes those of us on the front lines pushing for progress get too excited when we win those progresses. So much so that we often forget that we have to stay active and vigilant to protect those wins. It’s been a lesson to see the incredible damage that’s been done in the last 10 years.
I think that’s why you’re seeing people come out in droves to protect reproductive rights, and Republicans are learning a different lesson from Democrats. You saw in Alabama when they got rid of IVF they changed course right away realizing that was a mistake. We’re seeing Speaker Johnson right now saying we need a national protection for it. This is the kind of energy that Democrats have to sustain and maintain — not just on the defense, but also on the offensive as well.
MSR: Is it difficult to balance the interests of the Somali community with the interests of the at-large community?
IO: No, because there is not a unique challenge that the Somali community faces that is not faced by many of the minority communities that I represent. Somalis, like many of the communities I represent, struggle with access to resources.
They want to see more affordable housing; they have hope of realizing the American dream just as everyone else. They want homeownership and we know the disparities in the Black community are severe here, which also includes the Somali community.
They are entrepreneurs in spirit and want to own small businesses and realize their American dreams through that. They have hopes of having their kids get the kind of education they did not have. They want to be represented in public office like everyone else. So I don’t see a conflict in the way I work in trying to level the playing field for everyone that I serve.
MSR: It was sort of like when President Obama was in office, many African Americans expected much because of his cultural connection. But Obama would constantly remind us that he was president of all people.
IO: You know, I think we as Black people did benefit from a lot of programs that President Obama pushed forth. We’re disproportionally underinsured in health care, so Obamacare impacted us more even if we feel like it was a program specifically for us.
And so we have to have this lens of seeing what the government is putting forth and how we can benefit from it. Student debt cancellation is another idea that people don’t think is specific for Black people, but we’re disproportionately impacted by student debt.
MSR: What are some of your policy priorities at the moment?
IO: One of my key priorities is universal school meals. I believe we have to feed our kids bellies before we try to feed their brains. Under the Trump administration, I was able to pass legislation called the Meals Act. It was an emergency measure that fed 22 million across the nation. It has since expired, but I’m pushing it in Minnesota; now we have universal school meals in Minnesota, and I continue to advocate for that.
Student debt cancellation was one of the first reasons I ran, for schools to advocate for that. I have legislation with Sen. Bernie Sanders, although we haven’t been able to pass the legislation, we’ve been able to get the Biden administration to cancel as much debt as he is legally able to — some $400 million in debt cancellation so far.
Also, creating affordable housing and homeownership opportunities is a huge piece of my agenda. We’ve been able to secure lots of resources, and we got St. Louis Park a land trust enabling them to create more ownership opportunities.
Another core agenda of mine is addressing our climate crisis where we have pushed the administration to historic investment addressing the climate crisis, but also environmental injustices, and many of those initiatives are impacting our communities. Minneapolis just created a $10 million trust to impact the climate crisis and pollution it has had in North and South Minneapolis.
And finally, making our community safe is one that is important to me. It is very impactful in that bipartisan gun violence prevention will be fought to make sure there will be funding to address the mental health disease we have in our community, but also in funding a lot of violence prevention interrupter programs.
Watch Rep. Ihan Omar’s conversation with the MSR here.
MSR: How about the opioid issue — is that a problem in the East African population in the metro area?
IO: Yes. We’ve noticed three communities that are severely impacted in the Fifth District. As we know, across the country many communities are affected, but here in the Fifth the three are East and West Africans, African Americans in North Minneapolis, and the Native American Little Earth community.
So we’ve been convening roundtables to try to understand what cultural ways we can address the crisis, to understand where funding gaps are, to bring the county, community health providers, community members, parents, and the young people who are in recovery to the table to learn more.
MSR: It being Women’s History Month, how do you see the role of women in leadership evolving, and what steps are needed to continue to see women succeed in all professional walks?
IO: We’ve just experienced a huge evolution with the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, and for the first time we are seeing ourselves represented in the highest level of government. When I won in 2018, our class was historic in that it was the first time that Congress had more than 100 female members; and here in Minnesota, we see a huge representation of women in leadership.
I think when women are at the table, no one gets left behind. We show up in leadership, both in partnership and compassion, but most of all ready to prove ourselves and work harder than anyone else, and I think that shows in the way we deliver.
MSR: What’s your position on immigration on the Southern border?
IO: I want your listeners and readers to know this: We are seeing the highest level of migration in the history of the world. And so there is a crisis almost at every border — both with people fleeing and people showing up to claim asylum — due to the uptick in conflict around the world. It’s also due to inflation and recession — many countries are experiencing economic hardship — but also the climate crisis and many communities are being pushed out.
As for our southern border, it’s painful to be in Congress and have immigration be used as a political talking point. Instead, our broken immigration system should be something we are in partnership to fix. I believe we have great solutions, and if we can come together, we can make an impact.
MSR: In the Fifth District, what is the greatest need?
IO: I think the biggest thing broken in the district, and has been broken for a while, is the disparities. I recall my first time showing up for a Black Caucus meeting. I told them that I lived in a city that was the worst place for a Black person to live in, and they all looked at me as if I was insane.
But the data reflects that. We have severe disparities in homeownership, small business ownership, and graduation rates, in almost every measure that exists. So my job in Congress is to try and fight for as many dollars as we can bring back to the Fifth to address those disparities. That’s why I focus funding on eliminating the food deserts, programs that close the affordable housing gap, homeownership, health disparities, and creating small business opportunities.
MSR: How much of your homelessness agenda deals with mental health?
IO: The word holistic is what’s missing in addressing homelessness. And I agree that mental health is a major component, along with addiction. For us to house people, we have to look closer at why they are unable to be housed.
Often when you find someone unable to maintain long-term housing we may have to look at why they have been pushed out. They may have a criminal record or may have lived with their families in public housing, or again they can’t rent a place because the system has them locked out.
So that’s why we have been able to get resources like mini houses in North Minneapolis [Avivo Village]. If I remember correctly, in 2022, 107 people were temporarily housed, they were able to get 103 of them permanently housed. So that’s a program that works, of which we just secured them $800,000 to expand their program.
We’ve been working with the Minneapolis City Council to develop a standard for dealing with encampments. I just saw a former colleague and mentor, Karen Bass, the new mayor of Los Angeles, roll out an initiative and do what you did as a reporter. They are sending city workers out to have conversations and realize what the problems are. They are posting videos of her team taking them to health checkups, getting them the needed resources, and treating them with the humanity and dignity that they deserve.
MSR: There is a youth unemployment issue in this country. Will we ever see something like Job Corps again?
IO: We just had a hearing where I spoke about the Job Corps and why it was so vital. As a union girl, partnership is another thing we push for. In Minneapolis, our Step-Up program is one we’ve been pushing to expand. Park boards I think can also do more in expanding their work programs.
Our young people need to be busy to stay out of trouble, and as a mom of four, I will tell you that if we are not doing everything we can as a village by doing all we can to care for our kids, we’ll pay for it in the future.
I had my first job at the age of 16, and even before that, I used to clean offices to earn a little extra money. And when I was legally old enough to get hired, my first job was at Target. I have remained employed since then, and I try to instill this work ethic in my kids. Every time I’m talking with young people and lawmakers, I try to remind them of how vital it is to shape and mold our children so that they remain active participants in society in every positive way.
MSR: What’s the best way for your constituents to engage you?
IO: There are so many ways. Our office is in Sabathani Community Center, on 38th and 4th Street, in South Minneapolis. People can reach us via the office and social media, the method of choice for many younger people. They can also reach us through our Congressional website. And they can call my office in the district at 612-333-1272 or our Washington D.C. at 202-225-4755.
MSR: Are there measures to ensure the Fifth District is free of environmental issues that may affect health and quality of life?
IO: Yes. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, we mandated a course correction of the environmental injustices in many of our disenfranchised communities. The EPA has a new mandate to do just that and has sent people to Minneapolis to investigate pollution levels across the city. As I’ve mentioned, Minneapolis got $20 million, of which $10 million is for two Minneapolis sites for environmental purposes.
Most people don’t know that the asthma rate in North Minneapolis is the second-highest in the country. There is a lot of work that we have to do. But again, we can release a lot of resources through the Inflation Reduction Act. Now it is in the hands of the local municipalities to move as urgently as they can.
MSR: On a national level in education, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing back on the teaching of Black history, more notably any teachings that does not tow the conventional K-12 curriculum. How do we prevent this from spreading across the country?
IO: That’s why we say elections have consequences. And sadly, one of the consequences for Florida is they elected this menace who’s destroying education and distorting history.
However, on a federal level, the administration has been forceful in having the Secretary of Education try and fight some of these battles. And again, the Congressional Black Caucus has been adamant that we go on the offense in talking about why Black history is American history.
And to let those like DeSantis realize that they cannot cherry-pick which part of that history is taught, and how dangerous it is when a country refuses to acknowledge its history. It stops progress and creates kids who do not to repeat history. So this is not something that we are taking lightly and are forcefully fighting.
MSR: You have two minutes to talk to readers and listeners about whatever you like — it’s your mic.
IO: I ran for office because I was being represented by someone who had been there for 44 years, and I felt they weren’t listening to nor co-governing with us. And so our model is to co-govern. We do not legislate top-down, we legislate bottom-up.
And so every initiative that we’ve introduced, every single dime that we fought to bring back has always been something that came from a constituency. We hope that our constituency hears this and feels more emboldened to push us to continue to fight for them in ways they want us to fight for them.
Watch Rep. Ihan Omar’s conversation with the MSR here.
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