What is the original source of the claim that Senator Kennedy said Omar answered 'Somalia first and America second as a paycheck'?

1. What the documentation shows: no corroborating primary source

I searched the supplied files for an origin of the precise quote and the chain of attribution; the official Kennedy Senate pages provided (press/media pages and bill texts) contain statements about Kennedy’s legislative activity and public remarks but do not record him reading or asserting that specific Omar quote ^{[2] [3] [4]}. The authoritative documentary record supplied here does not show Kennedy attributing that formulation to Representative Ilhan Omar in any floor remarks, press release, or posted media ^{[2] [3]}.

2. Where the line appears in the materials: a single dramatic blog-style item

The only result in the set that contains language resembling the phrase is a partisan/political blog post titled “Kennedy Drops the Final Omar File – A Political Takedown That Shook Washington to Its Core,” which quotes an alleged July 2019 private fundraiser line: “I came to Congress to advance the interests of Somalia first, America second” and depicts Kennedy reading it aloud as a revelation ^[1]. That page reads like advocacy or sensational reporting; it is not a primary source (no transcript, recording, venue citation, or corroborating mainstream outlet is attached) and therefore cannot be taken as verification of a documented, attributable quote ^[1].

3. What reputable reporting in this set covers instead

Other items in the collection are mainstream reporting or institutional documents about Somalia, refugee/resettlement fact checks, and policy debates that reference Somali diaspora, migration numbers, and related political controversy — for example, Reuters’ fact-check of claims about Somali resettlement and broader coverage of Somalia policy — but none of these pieces attribute the contested line to Omar or record Kennedy making the claim ^{[5] [6] [7]}. In short, mainstream and institutional sources in this set focus on policy facts rather than repeating the quotation in question ^{[6] [5]}.

4. Possible reasons this quote circulates — context and motivation

The blog post ^[1] amplifies a politically damaging narrative: a public official allegedly placing a foreign homeland ahead of the United States. That narrative has been prominent in prior partisan attacks and social-media claims about Somali-American political figures; Reuters’ fact-check shows how related claims about Somali resettlement and political motives circulated and were debunked or qualified ^[5]. Given that pattern, the unattributed quote could be an amplification or invention to stoke political outrage rather than a documented citation; the supplied material does not offer an evidentiary trail for a private fundraiser transcript or authenticated recording ^{[1] [5]}.

5. Competing interpretations and what each side might argue

Supporters of the blog’s account would point to the dramatic text and assert Kennedy possessed evidence or testimony ^[1]. Critics and neutral fact-checkers would insist that without a verifiable primary source — audio, video, a contemporaneous transcript, or corroboration by established outlets — the assertion remains unverified and potentially false; the Reuters piece in this set demonstrates the need for documentary corroboration before accepting claims tied to refugee politics ^[5]. Available sources do not mention an official Senate transcript or credible news outlet corroborating the alleged quote ^{[2] [3] [5]}.

6. How to verify the claim beyond these sources

To establish an original source you would need: (a) a timestamped audio or video clip of the event; (b) a published transcript from the fundraiser, hearing, or meeting where the line was supposedly said; (c) contemporaneous reporting by a mainstream outlet that attributes the quote to Omar and cites primary evidence; or (d) an official correction or retraction from any outlet that first published the line. None of those evidentiary items appear in the provided set ^{[1] [2] [3] [5]}. Available sources do not mention any of those verification elements.

7. Bottom line for readers

Based on the documents you supplied, there is no verifiable, original source for the precise quote linking Senator Kennedy’s statement about Ilhan Omar saying “Somalia first and America second as a paycheck.” The only match is a sensational blog post that lacks primary-source corroboration ^[1]; mainstream and institutional materials in the set do not confirm the quotation and instead show how related claims have circulated and been scrutinized previously ^{[5] [6]}. If you want definitive provenance, seek an audio/video clip, authenticated transcript, or reputable news outlet citation — none of which are present in the current reporting ^{[1] [2] [3]}.