Renee Parsons
On November 7th afternoon, Rep. Rich McCormick (Ga.) offered the following resolution on the House Floor to censure Rep. Rasida Tlaib for comments she allegedly made regarding the Israeli-Gaza war: HR 845 “Censuring Representative 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” The Democrats offered a Motion to Table the resolution which failed on a 213-208 with six brave Republicans voting in support of the First Amendment.
Those Republicans were Rep. Garcia (Calif), Balint (Vt.) , Zinke (Minn.) , Duarte (Calif.) , Buck (Co.) and Massie (Ky.) who has already been targeted by the powerful AIPAC lobby for defeat.
In her defense, Tlaib said “my perspective is needed here now more than ever. I will not be silenced and I will not let anyone distort my words.”
After an extremely emotional debate on the part of Republicans, accusing Hamas of beheading babies, raping mothers while their babies were baked in an oven (none of which were ever confirmed) as well as incorrect assertion about the Israeli bombing of the Al Ahli Hospital as well Paul Kessler being killed in California actually hitting his head on the sidewalk and dying in the hospital.
In a second resolution with the same language was offered by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and passed on a vote of 234 – 188 with four brave Republicans voting No including Reps. Buck (Colo), Massie (Ky), Durate (Calif.) and McClintock (Calif).
At the core of the debate was the interpretation of ‘from the river to the ocean’ as being anti-semitic while Rep. Tlaib described the phrase as an ‘aspirational call f or freedom” of the Palestinian people as any neutral observer would not have been expected to find those words a slur.