Ilhan Omar censure fails to pass in shock House vote

• Along with Mills, Reps Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) voted with Democrats to quash the measure.

The intrigue: The vote was 214 in favor of a Democratic motion to table — kill — Mace's resolution, and 213 against, and Mills voted with Democrats at the very last moment before the vote closed.

• Casar, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, confirmed to Axios after the vote that he now plans to withdraw his censure resolution against Mills.
• A spokesperson for Mills did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his vote.

What we're hearing: A senior House Democrat who was privy to the closed-door strategizing around the vote told Axios that they specifically hoped — and expected — to entice Mills to vote against the censure.

• Casar declined to say whether he informed Mills in advance that he planned to withdraw his censure measure if the Omar vote failed.
• "Sometimes the strategy works," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Mills' fellow Floridian, told Axios.

Zoom out: Aside from Mills, the vote reflects growing frustration in both parties with the increasingly common use of censure — once a powerful rebuke for malfeasance — as a tool to punish partisan opponents.

• McClintock said in a statement that while he thought Omar's comments about Kirk were "vile and contemptible ... this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment."
• "Censure is formal punishment by the House and we have already gone too far down this road," he added.
• A group of five House Republicans voted earlier this month to help Democrats kill a censure resolution against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.).

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.