Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) offered an emotional plea to her colleagues to support her calls for a ceasefire in Israel just moments after the House voted to move forward with a censure resolution against the Michigan Democrat for her previous comments on the conflict.
In a floor speech, Tlaib rejected the censure effort, vowing she would “not be silenced” as the only Palestinian American serving in Congress.
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“My perspective is needed here now more than ever. I will not be silenced, and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib said as she teared up on the House floor. “Trying to bully or censure me won’t work because this movement for a ceasefire is much bigger than one person. It’s growing every single day.”
Lawmakers voted 208-213 to table the motion, falling short of the simple majority vote needed to kill the legislation and dealing a blow to Democratic leaders who sought to shield their party member from a formal condemnation. A final vote on the censure resolution is expected Wednesday.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) chokes up while condemning the resolution to censure her that the House is considering:
“Speaking up to save lives, Mr. Chair, no matter faith, no matter ethnicity, should not be controversial in this chamber.” pic.twitter.com/4ob7W6NZIB
— The Recount (@therecount) November 7, 2023
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) filed the motion on Monday, pushing for a censure resolution that would punish Tlaib for her comments while maintaining her First Amendment rights. The resolution chastised the Michigan Democrat for her remarks in the days following the Hamas attack, particularly her comments blaming Israel for a deadly airstrike at a Christian hospital in Gaza on Oct. 18.
U.S. intelligence officials later reported evidence the explosion was caused by a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but Tlaib repeatedly refused to retract her accusations.
The Michigan Democrat further defended her actions on the House floor on Tuesday, noting her criticism has “always” been targeted toward the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than the country itself.
“It is important to separate people and governments,” she said. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s being used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”
The resolution also points to Tlaib’s most recent controversy stemming from a video she posted over the weekend featuring pro-Palestinian protesters marching in cities across the country chanting the phrase “from the river to the sea,” referring to the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River that includes Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Tlaib defended the use of the phrase, arguing it is an “aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence” and not “death, destruction, or hate.” However, the phrase prompted widespread backlash from several members of Tlaib’s party, who pointed to the slogan’s adoption by the Hamas terrorist group to advocate the destruction of Israel.
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Party leaders urged House Democrats to support the table to motion, but several lawmakers have indicated they’ll back the motion to censure Tlaib now that it’s headed to the floor for a full vote.
“I don’t think it’s productive,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). “But I also don’t think calling for the removal of an entire country is productive.”
