Tensions erupt in Congress over vote to condemn Boulder attack

• "It's sheer politics," said one senior House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts about a sensitive vote.
• A second senior House Democrat told Axios: "It's unfortunate that they're using a serious antisemitic terrorist attack as a wedge opportunity to divide Democrats. They knew what they were doing adding something like that in there."
• "Nice little catch to put Democrats on the board," vented a third House Democrat.

State of play: At least 15 people and one dog were injured last week in Boulder, Colo., when a suspect allegedly yelled "Free Palestine" as he threw Molotov cocktails at demonstrators advocating the release of hostages held by Hamas.

• Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), along with his fellow Colorado Republicans, have introduced a three-page resolution denouncing the attack, which is scheduled to be voted on this week.
• The measure labels "Free Palestine" an "antisemitic slogan that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and the Jewish people."
• "It's more than unfortunate," the second senior House Democrat said of that clause. "It's very f***ed up."

Between the lines: A senior House progressive, asked by Axios whether some of the more pro-Palestinian House Democrats will have an issue with the language in the measure, replied, "Yes."

• Senior aides to several other progressive House Democrats said their bosses were still mulling how to vote on the bill as of Saturday — with some acknowledging that it will be difficult either way.
• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), asked about the measure on Friday, told Axios: "I haven't seen the resolution yet."
• "It's being worked," the first senior House Democrat told Axios of party leadership's internal deliberations around the bill.

Yes, but: The language is not likely to stop some of the most pro-Israel House Democrats from voting for the legislation.

• The second House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios, "If there's a resolution condemning Boulder, I'm going to vote for that."
• Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said "Free Palestine" should "mean liberating Palestinians from the oppression of Hamas. Instead, it has come to signify something far more sinister: the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state."
• "Free Palestine certainly isn't good Shabbos," is how Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a Jewish progressive, put it.

Zoom in: The "Free Palestine" language is not the only wrinkle for Democrats in the measure — it also expresses "gratitude" to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for "protecting the homeland."

• That's another provision that some Democratic offices have raised objections to in discussions with leadership, multiple sources told Axios.

• Democrats have faced rising tensions with ICE in recent months as the agency has carried out the Trump administration's deportation campaign.

The other side: "Condemning antisemitism and condemning sanctuary state policies shouldn't be hard, but Democrats twisting themselves into a pretzel over this shows how bad their party has gotten," a spokesperson for Evans told Axios.

• "This is a solutions-oriented resolution, and it will be disappointing if folks vote against it because they support pro-Hamas slogans and violent illegal immigrants."
• A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) did not respond to a request for comment.

Zoom out: This would be far from the first time House Democrats have been divided on a vote around antisemitism and Israel.

• The caucus split almost evenly on the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which, to the frustration of Democrats, codified a definition of antisemitism that included some criticisms of Israel.
• They have also frequently been divided on votes around supporting and providing aid to Israel amid their ongoing war with Hamas.

What to watch: The resolution is coming to a vote under a process that requires a two-thirds majority for it to pass.

• That means it could run into problems if a substantial number of Democrats vote against it.
• The House is also set to vote on another resolution condemning the Boulder attack, introduced by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), which is more straightforward and has 10 Democratic co-sponsors.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Rep. Gabe Evans' office.