Washington — Two of the House’s most polarizing members were spared potential punishment on Wednesday after lawmakers voted against moving forward on censuring Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her controversial comments on Israel.
The House voted to table the Tlaib resolution, effectively killing the effort to publicly reprimand her. Democrats appeared to pull a reciprocal effort to censure GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from consideration after the Tlaib vote.
A simple majority was needed to block the measure against Tlaib from advancing to a final vote, meaning Democrats needed GOP support. Twenty-three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting to kill the measure against Tlaib.
The House was expected to then vote on a motion to table the measure against Greene, but that was removed from the vote schedule after the Tlaib resolution was blocked.
Dueling censure resolutions
Last week, Greene introduced a resolution to censure Tlaib over her criticism of Israel, accusing the Michigan Democrat of “antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations and leading an insurrection” at a House office building.
After the deadly terror attacks by Hamas in Israel earlier this month and the subsequent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the Cannon House Office Building on Oct. 18 calling for a cease-fire in the Hamas-controlled territory. U.S. Capitol Police estimated 300 protesters were arrested and said three people were charged with assaulting officers.
Capitol Police said protesters entered the building legally through visitor security checkpoints and were permitted to gather, but protests aren’t allowed inside. The demonstration was far from an “insurrection,” as Greene’s resolution portrays it.
Greene also cited several statements Tlaib has made in support of Palestinians and that were critical of the Israeli government.
“Tlaib must be censured for her radical support of Hamas terrorists and hatred of our ally Israel,” the Georgia Republican wrote Wednesday on X.
Tlaib, the House’s only Palestinian American, said in a statement that Greene’s “unhinged resolution is deeply Islamophobic and attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates.”
In retaliation for the resolution against Tlaib, Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont filed a resolution of her own to censure Greene. Balint’s measure accuses Greene of making repeated racist, antisemitic and xenophobic statements and stoking conspiracy theories.
In a statement Thursday, Balint said Greene’s resolution “is an overt Islamophobic attack” on Tlaib.
“Her resolution is riddled with lies,” the statement said. “It’s bigoted. It’s dangerous. This kind of rhetoric fans the flames of hate and fear at a time when Muslim Americans are already facing increased threats and violence.”
Balint’s measure said Greene has “repeatedly fanned the flames of racism, antisemitism, LGBTQ hate speech, Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, xenophobia, and other forms of hatred.”
Greene mocked Balint for an impassioned speech she gave on the House floor calling for her censure.
“Slow down and breathe a little Becca,” she said on X. “Geez and they call me a conspiracy theorist.”
