Republican Reps. Rich McCormick and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia have each put forward resolutions to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for her anti-Israel comments
House Democrat speaks out against Tlaib censure resolutions in House
Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut on Tuesday spoke out against the censure resolutions targeting several members of Congress, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and defended their free speech rights.
House lawmakers on Tuesday will vote on two new resolutions to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for her anti-Israel comments after a previous attempt failed.
Georgia Republican Reps. Rich McCormick and Marjorie Taylor Greene each have forced a vote on their resolutions to censure Tlaib for "promoting false narratives" on the Israel-Hamas war and "antisemitic activity," respectively. These privileged resolutions came after 23 Republicans voted against Greene's previous resolution, which accused the Michigan Democrat of leading an "insurrection" at the Capitol.
Greene has said her new resolution replaced the word "insurrection" with "illegal occupation," which refers to the pro-Palestinian rally Tlaib attended on Oct. 18 during which activists took over much of the ground floor at the Cannon House Office Building.
McCormick's resolution condemns Tlaib's comments referring to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel as "resistance" to the "apartheid" state; her spreading of false reports suggesting Israel had bombed the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza; and a Nov. 3 video posted to her X account which included the phrase, "from the river to the sea," which is widely recognized as a call for genocide and the destruction of the Jewish state.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., waits to vote during the House floor after the third failed vote to elect a new Speaker of the House in the Capitol on Friday, October 20, 2023. Tlaib is the target of two GOP censure resolutions for her anti-Israel comments on the war in Gaza. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The McCormick resolution is expected to come up for a House vote Tuesday afternoon, a "motion to table" the resolution or to kill it. If the motion to table fails, the House then would vote on the resolution itself.
House lawmakers are expected to consider the Greene resolution in the same manner Tuesday evening.
In a statement released Monday, Tlaib accused her GOP colleagues of attempting to silence her and said she "repeatedly denounced the horrific targeting and killing of civilians by Hamas and the Israeli government."
She previously defended the phrase "from the river to the sea" as "an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence."
DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEMBERS REACT TO REP. TLAIB'S ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY USE OF ANTISEMITIC CHANT
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (right) is one of two Georgia Republicans who have forced a vote on a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
An account on X called StopAntisemitism responded to Tlaib and said the phrase refers to "the full erasure of the Jewish state, from Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea."
While several Republicans came out against the "Squad" lawmaker for her attempt to justify the phrase, multiple Democrats have also called her out on the matter.
On Saturday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called for Tlaib to "retract" the "cruel and hateful" social media post.
Another Democrat, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, "the only Jewish member" of Michigan’s congressional delegation, said she has worked to reach out to constituents who are Arab and Muslim who "are feeling fear and anguish," while also reflecting on their empathy as she approaches the crisis at hand.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE RENEWS PUSH TO CENSURE RASHIDA TLAIB: ‘SHOULD BE EXPELLED’
"The phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ is one of division & violence, & it is counterproductive to promoting peace. None of us, especially elected leaders, should amplify language that inflames a tense situation & makes it harder for our communities to find common ground," Slotkin posted to X. "If I knew that a phrase I’d used had hurt any of my constituents, I would apologize & retract it, no matter its origin. I’d ask the same from you," she wrote, directed at Tlaib.
One other party member, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said Tlaib "is wrong."
However, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., criticized the measures on the House floor Tuesday, urging that lawmakers stand up for the freedom of expression for those with whom they disagree.
"I’m profoundly disturbed that this House has gotten into a frenzy of censure resolutions to censure the speech of members of Congress," Himes said. "It is time for us to stop trying to punish each other for the things that we say, no matter how abhorrent."
A senior House Democrat told Fox News that party lawmakers have been willing to give Tlaib leeway on "free speech" grounds and oppose sanctioning her because of that, even if it's a fig leaf.
But of Tlaib, the Democrat said, "She needs to change her views."
Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson, Greg Wehner and Fox News' Daniel Scully contributed to this report.
Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.
