On Tuesday evening, the House voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian American lawmaker in Congress, over the rhetoric she’s used in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
The censure resolution, introduced by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), accuses Tlaib of “promoting false narratives” about Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack on Israel and “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.” One of the flashpoints was a slogan used in a video she shared on social media — calling for freedom “from the river to the sea” — which critics say calls for the abolition of Israel as a Jewish state and which advocates say calls for Palestinian freedom. Tlaib has said the resolution distorts her positions, attempts to police her speech, and is filled with “obvious lies.”
“My criticism has always been of the Israeli government and Netanyahu’s actions. It is important to separate people and governments,” Tlaib said in a floor speech on Tuesday. “I can’t believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable. We are human beings just like anyone else.”
The resolution advanced 234-188, with the support of 212 Republicans and 22 Democrats; four Republicans and 184 Democrats voted against it.
Censure is a serious disciplinary measure that’s available in the House, though it is less severe than other actions like expulsion. Censure is defined as “a formal statement of disapproval,” but in practice, it doesn’t have concrete consequences beyond offering a clear rebuke of the lawmaker it targets — one that’s permanently entered into congressional records. In some cases, the censured lawmaker must stand in the center of the House chamber while the reasons for their censure are read to them publicly, though this was not required in Tlaib’s case. Lawmakers do not lose any privileges as a result of censure unless otherwise specified.
Censures have previously been relatively rare, though they’ve…
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