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WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Tuesday.
The vote was 234-188 with 22 Democrats voting in favor of the censure. Tlaib has recently made anti-semitic statements in regard to the Israel-Hamas War. The resolution to censure states that Tlaib engaged in “false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
The resolution to censure Tlaib was brought forth by Georgia’s representatives in the House.
“If this is not worthy of censure, what is? When you can call for the annihilation of a country and its people, if that’s not worthy of censure, what is?” Rep. Rick McCormick (R-GA) said on the House floor Tuesday.
Among the 188 Democrats was Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN-7th).
“This censure measure is a sham,” Carson said. “When someone who is an American, a Muslim, a woman, and a Palestinian dares to speak out for her people she is told to be quiet. Stop talking about Palestinian brothers and sisters in the same breath as Palestinian brothers and sisters!”
Indiana’s other Democratic member of the House, Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1st), also voted against the resolution.
Tlaib has also come under fire for videos on social media or her chanting with protestors “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which is a Palestinian liberation slogan that many within the Jewish community interpret as a call to genocide of Jews.
She insisted that her criticism of the Israeli government does not rise to the level of anti-Semitism. Carson attempted to speak on behalf of Tlaib’s character before the vote.
“My sister, Rashida, is a child of the Midwest, representing the best of Midwestern sensibilities,” Carson said. “She also exemplifies the rich tradition of Islamic faith within the Midwest. She is a bold leader, a fair leader, and a compassionate leader. Most of all she is an American.”
The censure is a mostly symbolic punishment of Tlaib by Congress. It is an official condemnation of Tlaib’s statements by Congress as a whole.
