The House of Representatives voted 234-188 to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat “Squad member” from Michigan, in response to her recent anti-Israel remarks following the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Although the censure is largely symbolic, it serves as a public rebuke for Tlaib’s comments.
Twenty-two Democrats joined 212 Republicans in supporting the censure, introduced by Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia. Four GOP members voted against it, while four lawmakers voted present during the vote.
The Democrat yeas: Cohen (TN), Costa (CA), Craig (MN), Davis (NC), Frankel (FL), Golden (MA), Goldman (NY), Gottheimer (NJ), Landsman (OH), Lee (NV), Manning (NC), Moskowitz (FL), Nickel (NC), Pappas (NH), Perez (WA), Ryan (NY), Schneider (IL), Schrier (WA), Soto (FL), Torres…
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 8, 2023
McCormick, in presenting the resolution, highlighted Tlaib’s comments calling for the annihilation of a country and its people, stating it as grounds for censure. The resolution accused Tlaib of promoting false narratives about a Hamas attack on Israel and advocating for the destruction of the state of Israel.
Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American in Congress, faced bipartisan criticism for sharing a video on social media that included the phrase “From the river to the sea,” a slogan associated with Palestinian liberation but also interpreted as calling for Israel’s destruction. Critics have highlighted that this phrase implies dismantling the State of Israel and is used by Hamas.
The U.S. House of Representatives has officially censured Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib "for promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel" pic.twitter.com/9grQTKYnSL
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 8, 2023
The Anti-Defamation League characterizes the slogan as denying Jewish self-determination and promoting anti-Semitic ideas. However, Tlaib defended her use of the phrase, separating her criticism of the Israeli government from antisemitism concerns.
Earlier, a previous attempt by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, to censure Tlaib did not advance to a vote. This recent resolution to censure Tlaib was preceded by a vote to defeat the measure earlier in the day, rejecting a motion to kill the resolution with a close vote of 208-213, with one member voting “present.”
