More Than Twenty Republicans Vote to Rescue Squad Member

(NationRise.com) – Twenty-three Republican lawmakers voted with their Democrat counterparts recently to protect Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a member of the far-left Squad group, from censure.

Tlaib faced censure after several controversial remarks she made about Israel as it continues fighting Hamas. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who introduced the effort, blamed Tlaib’s remarks for an increase in antisemitism across the nation, including a riot that led to several arrests at the Cannon House Office building in Washington, DC. Greene called the incident an insurrection.

Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) initially fired back against Greene by introducing her own resolution to censure her. However, she withdrew her resolution soon after over concerns that it was unlikely to succeed. She was among several representatives who applauded after the resolution failed.

In Congress, a censure is an official statement of strong disapproval or condemnation. It is meant to shame the representative in question. However, it does not provide any further consequences. Representatives who have been censured maintain their position and benefits. A majority vote is needed to approve a censure.

Greene’s censure of Tlaib failed with a vote of 222-186. She condemned the Republicans who voted against the condemnation, accusing them of preventing the party from promoting progress and accountability. Those Republicans claimed the First Amendment and inflamed language as reasons to oppose the effort.

Tlaib and other members of “The Squad” have repeatedly criticized the Israeli government and called for a ceasefire in their war with Hamas. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), another member, publicly accused Israel of genocide. They have also attacked the Biden administration for supporting Israel’s efforts.

Democratic Majority for Israel, a left-wing group that supports the Jewish state, has fired back against Tlaib with an ad campaign released in her district. The ad claims Tlaib’s legislation would arm terrorists and essentially leave Israel defenseless. The claims likely stemmed from a bill introduced to support Israel’s Iron Dome defense system in 2021. Tlaib voted against it.