BREAKING: It's Unanimous! House censures Rep. Rashida Tlaib
From WWW.NBCNEWS.COM
WASHINGTON — House lawmakers on Tuesday censured Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the sole Palestinian American in Congress, over her remarks and actions in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
The censure resolution, authored by Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., passed 234 to 188, with 22 Democrats voting for it.
The measure censures Tlaib, D-Mich., for “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
"It is a sad fact, but this type of antisemitic hate is being promoted by a small group of members in this body, chiefly Rep. Tlaib," McCormick said on the House floor before the vote. "We must hold her accountable."
The vote comes one month after the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and amid the devastating Israeli bombardment of the densely populated Gaza Strip.
Republicans have seized on Tlaib’s words and actions criticizing Israel, joining several Democrats in condemning a video she posted on social media showing protesters chanting “from the river to the sea” — a phrase that has been used by Hamas and that Jewish groups consider an antisemitic call for the elimination of Israel. The video also says that President Joe Biden “supported the genocide of the Palestinian people,” and Tlaib herself warns Biden, “We will remember in 2024.”
Tlaib’s positions have divided Democrats, who are wrestling with how to respond to the new conflict in the Middle East. They have condemned the horrific Hamas terror attack that Israel says killed 1,400 people, but many Democrats also have been critical of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, according to health officials there. A growing number of Democrats have called for a humanitarian pause to provide aid to innocent civilians in Gaza, while a smaller group, including Tlaib, have pushed for a cease-fire.
Ahead of Tuesday night's vote, Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California said leadership had encouraged rank-and-file Democrats to vote to table the censure resolution against Tlaib. The House rejected that motion in a 208-213 vote.
But Aguilar also was quick to condemn Tlaib’s video.
“I extremely disagree with the statement, the video,” he said. “I could not disagree more with the term. I think it’s offensive.”... (Read more)
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