Representative Cori Bush (D-Mo.) criticized members of Congress on Tuesday for their attempt to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) over her comments on the Israel-Palestine war.
Bush’s comments arrived hours before the House officially passed the censure resolution Tuesday evening.
“I rise today in opposition to the censure resolution and also [in] opposition to the reckless manner that people in this House speak when they don’t realize or don’t care that they put targets on the backs of actual people,” Bush said to the House of Representatives, pointing out a lack of care, understanding and sense of humanity towards Black and brown people such as Tlaib.
“It’s outrageous that my colleagues are blatantly attempting to silence the only Palestinian American representative right here,” continued Bush, who has also received criticism over her own comments about the war.
On Oct. 7, Hamas, a militant group based in Gaza, launched a surprise attack on Israel, igniting an ongoing war. Since the initial attack, Israel has bombarded and invaded the Gaza Strip. The war has resulted in thousands of deaths of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides.
Tlaib has been a staunch supporter of Palestinians and has publicly criticized Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas, denouncing it as an apartheid state and calling for an end to the occupation. She has also demanded for a cease-fire with the Palestinian death toll surpassing 10,000, and continuing to rise.
Lawmakers have labeled Tlaib’s criticisms of Israel as antisemitic, and introduced two separate censure resolutions against Tlaib, as part of a broader effort from the party to link progressive lawmakers, Muslims and Arabs to Hamas. The second measure that passed Tuesday was introduced by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ohio).
Last week, Tlaib posted a video using the Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which critics interpret as a call for the eradication of Israel.
“From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate,” she tweeted on Friday, defending her use of the slogan. “My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.”
McCormick’s censure resolution against Tlaib accused her of “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
A censure is a formal statement of disapproval, but does not carry any material punishments such as removal from office, according to PBS.
“It’s a shame my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 10,000,” Tlaib said in a statement before the resolution vote. “Many of them have shown me that Palestinian lives simply do not matter to them, but I still do not police their rhetoric or actions.”
The House had initially rejected the Democratic motion to set aside the censure resolution after a vote of 213 to 208, because 11 lawmakers were absent ― eight of them Democrats ― but the passing 234-188 vote came after enough Democrats joined with Republicans.
“She mourns for the 1,400 Israelis that lost their lives. She mourns for the 10,000 [Palestinians] and she will not stop,” Bush said earlier on Tuesday, just before getting cut off by the gavel and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) yelling “shut up.”