CAIR Presses Democrats to Censure Randy Fine Over Islamophobic Rhetoric

Fine’s latest attacks were triggered by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) criticism regarding the recent Washington visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In response, Fine claimed Omar was welcoming "the killer of so many of your fellow Muslim terrorists." He later doubled down on these remarks during a NewsNation interview, while also labeling Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with similar slurs.

While House Democratic leadership—including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—publicly denounced the comments as "unhinged" and "racist," they have stopped short of pursuing a formal censure. Robert McCaw and Basim Elkarra of CAIR argued that such statements are insufficient, noting that Fine has a history of such rhetoric. They contend that the failure to consistently challenge anti-Muslim bigotry, citing past instances involving Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), emboldens further dehumanization.

A Pattern of Unequal Accountability

Critics point to a stark contrast in how Congress handles political speech. While 22 Democrats joined Republicans in 2023 to censure Rep. Tlaib for her political rhetoric, many of those same members have remained silent or issued only mild rebukes regarding Fine’s attacks. Currently, only five Democrats—Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Yassamin Ansari, Pat Ryan, Ritchie Torres, and Dan Goldman—have signaled support for a censure vote against Fine. CAIR maintains that this moment serves as a moral test for the Democratic caucus, urging them to implement institutional measures to protect Muslim members and combat rising hate, which reached a record 8,658 reported incidents last year.