By a vote of 208-213-1, the House failed to kill a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for her comments about the war between Israel and Hamas.
In a statement, Rep. Tlaib condemned the censure motion:
My statement on the efforts to silence me: pic.twitter.com/RRPRfEBrYz
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) November 7, 2023
The difference was eight Democrats who did not vote on the motion to table the censure resolution. Rep. Tlaib accused President Biden of genocide and falsely blamed Israel for the hospital explosion in Gaza.
Tlaib is Palestinian-America and does represent a heavily Muslim district in Michigan, but as a member of Congress, she also has a duty to the facts and not to use her platform to misinform. Ideally, Rep. Talib would advocate for the Palestinian people without the inflammatory rhetoric.
Democrats have grown increasingly frustrated with Tlaib, which is why the motion to table the censure resolution failed. The censure resolution is expected to pass the House and Tlaib will be censured.
There is a different conversation that needs to be held about the House overusing the censure resolution which should be reserved for cases of serious misconduct.
Whether or not Tlaib should be censured, the censure is likely to happen, as Democrats have grown exasperated with Tlaib’s divisive rhetoric.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association