The House backed the bill in a party-line vote of 219-212. The bill, authored by Representative Ilhan Omar, would create a special envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia and include state-sponsored anti-Muslim violence in the department's annual human rights reports. "We are in the midst of a staggering rise of anti-Muslim violence and discrimination around the world," Omar said on the House floor. Republicans have decried the bill, calling it rushed and partisan. Aides for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer did not respond to requests for comment about the bill.

Source: The Express Tribune December 16, 2021 20:04 UTC