Marjorie Taylor Greene forces vote on measure censuring Rashida Tlaib
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Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Photo: Ali Khaligh/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images.
The House is poised to vote by next week on a resolution censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her criticism of Israel.
Why it matters: The measure could put some staunchly pro-Israel moderate Democrats on the spot as intraparty tensions on the issue simmer against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.
- Tlaib in a statement called the resolution "deeply Islamophobic" and said it "attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates."
- "I am proud to stand in solidarity with Jewish peace advocates calling for a ceasefire and an end to the violence. I will not be bullied, I will not be dehumanized, and I will not be silenced," she added.
Driving the news: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced the resolution on Thursday in a so-called “privileged” motion, which means it has to be put to a vote by next week.
- Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) office did not immediately say when the vote will be scheduled.
The details: The resolution accuses Tlaib of “leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex” for speaking to protestors advocating for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war outside a House office building last week.
- Other protesters gathered inside the building, resulting in more than 300 arrests for demonstrating in a restricted area and three charges of assault on a police officer.
- The resolution also accuses Tlaib of “antisemitic activity” and “sympathizing with terrorist organizations” for her anti-Israel comments dating back to 2019, including her recent criticism of U.S. military aid to Israel.
What we’re hearing: Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) will force a vote on her eight-page resolution censuring Greene over five years worth of incendiary comments, Balint’s office told Axios.
- Balint introduced the measure in July but held off on forcing a vote on it amid concerns on both sides about an escalating tit-for-tat.
"If the House decides they want to go down this road in terms of censure, that should probably be right at the top of the list," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said at a press briefing on Thursday.
The intrigue: Greene herself was heavily involved in the events leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which has resulted in hundreds of arrests for assaults on police officers.
- White House logs obtained by the Jan. 6 committee show she attended a Dec. 21, 2020 meeting on pressuring former Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election.
- She was also in frequent contact with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows between the election and Jan. 6, including texting him on Dec. 31: "We have to get organized for the 6th."
- Greene has since repeatedly decried the treatment of Jan. 6 rioters.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from Rep. Rashida Tlaib and additional reporting on Rep. Becca Balint’s plans.
