House Passes GOP Measure to Reprimand Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Key Highlights :
The House of Representatives late Tuesday night passed a Republican-led measure to formally reprimand Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) over her outspoken criticism of Israel. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) had moved to censure Tlaib for what he called “promoting false narratives” about the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel and for “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.” The measure passed with a 234-188 vote, with four Republicans voting against and 22 Democrats for it.
Rep. Tlaib has been an outspoken critic of the Israeli government during her tenure in Congress and has vocally called for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Her comments criticizing the Israeli government, including her posting a video on social media with a chant that is a rallying cry for Hamas, angered not only Republicans but also some members of her own party.
Speaking on the House floor earlier Tuesday, Tlaib said her colleagues had distorted her positions, and she reiterated that her criticism was solely of the Israeli government: “The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent.” But that explanation wasn’t good enough for some House Democrats. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) released a statement, along with 70 other Democrats condemning the language used by Tlaib.
The censure of Rep. Tlaib is the latest development in what has become an ongoing House censure war. Democrats defeated a similar motion to reprimand Tlaib last week, when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) started the push. Nearly two dozen Republicans joined all Democrats in sinking that measure. In response, Democrats introduced a motion to censure Greene, though they withdrew it before a vote.
The formal reprimand of Rep. Tlaib will be read aloud to her on the House floor, and is a more targeted measure after a similar attempt to censure Tlaib failed last week. The resolution to censure Tlaib serves as a reminder that criticism of the Israeli government will not be tolerated in Congress, and that any language deemed to be promoting violence will not be accepted.
