Michigan Rep censored for ‘inflammatory rhetoric’ against Israel
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan’s 12th District has been censured by the House of Representatives following a vote on Tuesday night.
A privileged resolution to censure Tlaib was introduced on Monday by Republican Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia following Tlaib’s repeated comments criticizing Israel for its response to terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7. After a motion to table the resolution failed on Tuesday, the House advanced the final vote on the measure to later that evening where it passed by a vote of 234 yeas to 188 nays, with four members voting present and seven not voting.
“It is a shame that my colleagues are focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 10,000,” wrote Tlaib ahead of the vote on Twitter, now known as X. “A majority of Americans support a ceasefire, but Congress isn’t listening to their voices,” she claimed.
My statement on the efforts to silence me: pic.twitter.com/RRPRfEBrYz
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) November 7, 2023
“We must do the right thing and hold those in the people’s house to account,” McCormick wrote on Twitter, now known as X, ahead of the vote. “This is because of [Tlaib’s] inaccurate statements and inflammatory rhetoric that have literally said a nation, a strong ally of ours, Israel, should not exist.”
Twenty-two Democrats voted in favor of the resolution to censure Tlaib, their colleague, while four Republicans voted against the resolution.
Tlaib’s rhetoric has been criticized by elected Democrats and Republicans in both houses of Congress , which has widely been viewed as not sufficiently critical of Hamas’ actions on Oct. 7, where infants and the elderly were reported to have been killed in a gruesome manner by Jihadist terrorists. She has also been criticized for her appearance at rallies hosted by anti-Israel groups, such as Jewish Voices for Peace, in Washington, D.C.
McCormick’s resolution is one of two privileged resolutions that have been offered to censure Tlaib. The other, introduced by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, was initially tabled by the House on Nov. 1.
Although Tlaib’s comments were widely condemned, a few of her prominent Democratic colleagues took to the House floor on Tuesday to defend her.
“I spent all weekend in Michigan talking to all communities about the meaning of this phrase and there are really strong feelings on all sides,” said Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan during a speech on the floor of the House. “People interpret words in different ways. Personally, I choose not to use the phrase that is offensive to some and perceived as a threat.”
“This resolution is about one thing and one thing only: the punishment of speech,” said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland. “So we have a chance to show the world what the American Constitution means and how we hold fast to our core principles, even when we are drawn away from them by our passions and our righteous anger.”
So far, only one other member of the 118th Congress, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, has been censured, a resolution for which was passed on a party-line vote.
Article by ARJUN SINGH
