Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has been serving in the U.S. Congress representing Minnesota’s 5th district since 2019, recently took to social media to express her views on various legislative issues. Omar, who succeeded Keith Ellison and previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, shared her concerns regarding budget plans and congressional conduct.
On May 14, 2025, Omar criticized a Republican budget proposal that she claims “weaponizes and demonizes immigrants”. She highlighted specific elements of the plan such as funding deportation flights instead of providing free school lunches, building more walls despite deteriorating infrastructure across America, and hiring thousands of new ICE officers.
The following day, on May 15, Omar addressed the issue of stock trading by members of Congress. She asserted that “Members of Congress should not be trading stocks.” Her post emphasized the potential conflict of interest given their role in lawmaking and access to inside information while many Americans face economic struggles. She called for an immediate ban on congressional stock trading.
Later that same day, Omar turned her attention back to the implications of the Republican budget plan for healthcare. In a tweet posted at 17:16:58 UTC on May 15, she pointed out that under this plan “164,149 Minnesotans on Medicaid are at risk of losing their health care,” including children and seniors. She described these proposed cuts as “morally indefensible” and vowed to fight against them.
Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1982 and currently resides in Minneapolis. She graduated from North Dakota State University with a BA in 2011.
