Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) reportedly have pulled their own resolutions, respectively, to censure Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Brian Mast (R-Fla.).
This comes as the House censured Ms. Tlaib on Oct. 7 for making anti-Semitic comments amid the war between the Jewish state of Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. The censure resolution was introduced by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.).
Ms. Greene told The Epoch Times she pulled the resolution “ahead of time.” She did not specify why, other than she withdrew it ahead of the vote on Mr. McCormick’s resolution.
Ms. Greene introduced an initial resolution that was tabled on Nov. 1, with 23 Republicans joining all 199 Democrats in voting to do so.
It noted Ms. Tlaib’s history of anti-Semitism.
In January 2019, shortly after being sworn into Congress for the first time, Ms. Tlaib criticized the Senate for taking up legislation against the anti-Israel “boycott, divestment, and sanctions,” or BDS movement, which Ms. Tlaib supports.
The bill passed the Senate amid a U.S. government shutdown.
Her post on Twitter, now called X, echoed the anti-Semitic trope of dual loyalty—that Jews are more loyal to Israel than the country where they live.
During a podcast interview in May 2019, she said that the Holocaust gave her a “calming feeling.”
Ms. Tlaib responded to critics at the time by saying that when she said “calming feeling,” she was referring to the idea that her ancestors provided a “haven” for Jews after the Holocaust, and not referring to the Holocaust itself.
Ms. Greene’s initial measure would have censured Ms. Tlaib “for anti-Semitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Complex.”
The “insurrection” claim was in relation to Ms. Tlaib addressing activists with the anti-Israel groups “IfNotNow” and “Jewish Voice for Peace” outside the Capitol on Oct. 18.
The activists later stormed and held a sit-in at the Cannon House Office Building, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hundreds were arrested by Capitol Police for crowding and obstructing.
“I wish all the Palestinian people would see this. I wish they could see that not all of America wants them to die. That they are not disposable, that they have a right to live,” said Ms. Tlaib at the rally.
The resolution did not mention that Ms. Tlaib has yet to delete a post on X about Hamas’ contested claim blaming Israel for bombing a hospital in Gaza.
The United States has independently concluded that it was a misfire by Palestinian terrorists that resulted in the explosion and caused Gazan deaths.
In the second iteration of her censure of Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Greene did not include the “insurrection” part.
Ms. Jacobs put forth a resolution to censure Mr. Mast for remarking on the House floor on Nov. 1 that there is no such thing as innocent Palestinians.
“I would encourage the other side to not so lightly throw around the idea of innocent Palestinian civilians, as frequently said,” he stated. “I don’t think we would so lightly throw around the term ‘innocent Nazi civilians’ during World War II.”
The resolution said Mr. Mast’s comments were “dehumanizing, inflammatory, unacceptable and can be reasonably construed as inviting the targeted murder of innocent Palestinians, fanning the flames of violence in the Middle East and violating the international rules of war.”
However, Ms. Jacobs withdrew the resolution for now, her office told The Epoch Times, amid discussions surrounding language issues and this week’s attendance issues.
Nonetheless, they said, Mr. Mast’s rhetoric was “abhorrent and offensive” and therefore the resolution could still be put forward.
Both Ms. Greene’s and Ms. Jacobs’ censure resolutions were privileged and therefore would have forced a vote within two days of introduction.
From The Epoch Times
