Rep. Tlaib censured. What does that mean?
Tlaib and the "Squad" have a history of antisemitism & anti-Israel remarks
On Nov. 7, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
Here’s the link to Resolution 845.
This was the second attempt to censure Tlaib for her anti-Israel rhetoric and 22 Democrats joined in favor of censure.
The first one failed with 23 Republicans, including North Carolina’s Chuck Edwards, voting against censuring Tlaib.
So what does censuring a member of Congress mean?
"A “censure” is a formal, majority vote in the House on a resolution disapproving a Member’s conduct, generally with the additional requirement that the Member stand at the “well” of the House chamber to receive a verbal rebuke and reading of the resolution by the Speaker,” per the House Research Service (HRS) report issued in 2016.
What are the consequences?
Per the same HRS report:
“There is no specific disqualification or express consequence provided in the House Rules after a Member has been “censured.” The political ignominy of being formally and publicly admonished and deprecated by one’s colleagues, however, has led some Members of Congress who face a potential censure or other formal House discipline for certain misconduct to resign before any official recommendation or other action is taken.
While there are no House Rules regarding the consequences of a “censure,” the two political parties in the House themselves have adopted their own internal party rules which, in recent years, have generally barred from certain leadership positions, including the chairmanship of committees and subcommittees, those Members who have been censured during that Congress. Political party rules of the parties in the House may be changed by the particular party caucus or conference itself according to its own rules."
In other words, the House Committee on Ethics will have to hand down a punishment - or not. That committee is made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, including North Carolina’s Deborah Ross (D-NC-02).
It’s also worth noting that North Carolina Democrat Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-06) was named a co-chair of the House Antisemitism Task Force in Sept. 2022. That task force’s latest activity per Manning’s official website was to chat with the FBI about its 2021 antisemitism report, meanwhile, violence and antisemitic attacks have exploded across the country and on college campuses.
Tlaib’s calls for the annihilation of Israel and her subsequent censure should surprise no one.
Since they first took office, the “Squad,” Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-06 & 12), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), has continually made news over anti-Israel or antisemitic remarks. However, Omar is the one who has most often garnered such headlines and Democratic leadership has continually failed to address the Squad’s antisemitism.
Here’s a list going back to the Squad’s arrival in D.C., which is not comprehensive but does include examples of Democratic leadership, such as Nancy Pelosi, making excuses for them and failing to rein them in.
Note: 2019 was a particularly busy headline year for the Squad.
2018
Rashida Tlaib’s Ties To Anti-Semitism Run Deeper Than Previously Known
2019
Rep. Ilhan Omar targets Israel again, compares Jewish state to US South during segregation
Rep. Ilhan Omar Goes on Anti-Semitic Twitter Rampage; Advocacy Group Demands Apology
Omar Doubles Down (on tweet about support for Israel being "all about the benjamins) Watch her laugh about it in an interview.
Ilhan Omar To Fundraise For Islamic Terror-Linked Palestinian Organization
Farrakhan Praises Omar for Anti-Semitic Language: 'You Have Nothing to Apologize For'
Omar Has Ties to Radical Anti-Israel, Anti-American Group
Ilhan Omar causes stir over forced 'pledging to Israel' comment
Engel Rips Omar for 'Invoking a Vile Anti-Semitic Slur' With Latest Remarks on Israel
Jewish Groups Demand Omar Be Removed From Committee
Rep. Omar Doubles Down on Anti-Semitic Remarks, and Democrats Appear Helpless to Stop Her
Tlaib Compares Omar to 'Civil Rights Icons' After Latest Anti-Semitism Controversy
Clyburn Defends Omar: Her Pain 'More Personal' Than Descendants of Holocaust Victims
Pelosi: Omar Isn't Anti-Semitic, Didn't Understand the 'Full Weight of Her Words'
Schakowsky (D) Defends Omar's Anti-Semitic Comments: 'She Comes From a Different Culture'
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) on how Democrats should respond to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) anti-Semitism: “This is not a conversation we ought to have…in the public”
2020 Democrats Roll Out Lukewarm, Whataboutism Statements on Omar Anti-Semitism Controversy
Ocasio-Cortez: AIPAC 'Coming After' Freshman Dems, Compares Israel Supporters to Iraq War Supporters
"This shouldn't be so hard": Why can't we pass a resolution specifically condemning anti-semitism, asks Dem rep?
The anti-Jew caucus is strong in the Democratic Congress
House broadly condemns hate after anti-Semitism dispute
Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the collapse of the center-left
Sanders aide apologizes for questioning American Jews’ 'dual allegiance' to Israel
Video: journalist trying to follow Linda Sarsour into Rashida Tlaib’s office
Omar Holding Secret Fundraisers with Islamic Groups Tied to Terror
Omar Falsifies Record to Attack AIPAC
Ilhan Omar Blasted For Smearing Jewish Trump Administration Official
Omar: 9/11 terror attacks 'something' done by 'some people'
Hoyer and Pelosi defend Tlaib's Antisemitic Holocaust remarks after criticism from GOP
Virginia Lawmaker Connected to Anti-Semitic Groups, Rep Tlaib
California Dems propose resolution linking Israeli government to massacre at Pittsburgh synagogue
Lindsey Graham: AOC & Her ‘Squad’ Are ‘Anti-American’ And ‘Communists’
Omar compares the Israel boycott movement to the Boston Tea Party
House passes bill opposing BDS, exposing divide among Democrats
Rep. Ilhan Omar facing new scrutiny over past effort to win leniency for 9 men accused of trying to join ISIS
Omar, Tlaib Planned To Meet With Terror-Promoting Groups, Including One That Promoted Neo-Nazi Screed, On ‘Palestine’ Trip
Tlaib hits back at Bill Maher for comments on BDS, compares Israel to apartheid South Africa
Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib Share Antisemitic Cartoon by Participant in Iran's Holocaust Denial Contest
Media Won’t Report Tlaib, Omar’s Israel Trip Was Thru Pro-Terrorist Group
Tlaib Has Promoted Four Viral Racial Hoaxes in 2019
Rep. Ilhan Omar accused of anti-Semitism before CAIR gala speech
2020
Ilhan Omar Named ‘Anti-Semite Of The Year’
Media Struggle to Explain Recent Wave of Anti-Semitic Attacks Without Blaming Jews, Trump
2021
Democrat Antisemites take tougher stance against Israel as conflict escalates
Biden Praises ‘Fighter’ Rashida Tlaib After Tarmac Confrontation Over Israel: ‘Admire Your Intellect’
Leading Dems had to rein in their left flank's attempt to block military aid to Israel
Ilhan Omar: US congresswoman defends 'offensive' Israel remark
The Squad’s anti-Semites carry the day among House Democrats yet again
2022
Antisemitic incidents spiked during Squad's anti-Israel rhetoric, blue states at top of list
Rashida Tlaib’s long history of controversial remarks, from the Holocaust to 9/11
2023
Rashida Tlaib Doubles Down On Israel Hospital Attack Claim
Did Rashida Tlaib Incite Pro-Palestine Protest At Capitol?
'There is only one flag': Rashida Tlaib slammed after pic shows her posing in front of Palestinian flag in her office
Marjorie Taylor Greene to seek censure of 'terrorist sympathizer' Tlaib over Capitol Hill protest
White House strongly condemns 'repugnant' comments made by Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar: 'There are not two sides'
Rashida Tlaib Gaslights on ‘From the River to the Sea,’ Gruesome Nova Festival Footage Proves She’s Lying
Democrats criticize Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her pro-Palestinian comments
No Accountability: Resolution to Censure Rashida Tlaib Fails in House
Ilhan Omar stokes outrage with plea against sending US weapons to back ‘war crime’ in Israel
AOC Ttargets Pro-Israel AIPAC as a 'Racist, Bigoted EXTREMIST ORGANIZATION'
'Squad' Democrat Rashida Tlaib defends antisemitic, pro-Palestine ad
Dems, Squad Drawing Primary Challengers Over Hamas Support
Let’s not forget how the Squad was propelled into Congress, or, rather, who propelled them.
More To The Story
Those who paid attention to the 2018 election cycle will recall it was an organization called “Justice Democrats” that appeared to hand-pick and support progressive candidates, including the Squad, to run for elected offices.
Justice Democrats (JD) is a dark money 527 political action committee (PAC) that exclusively recruits and financially backs far-left and progressive candidates. In 2018, JD spent $2.5 million targeting a dozen incumbent Democrats they felt were too centrist.
JD’s mission or goal has been to promote candidates in an effort to push the Democrat party further left.
“We need a Democratic Party that fights for its voters, not big corporate donors, the JD mission statement reads. “Our goal is to build a mission-driven caucus in Congress by electing more leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, who will represent our communities in Congress and fight for bold, progressive solutions to our current crises.”
Bowman has faced his own issues recently by intentionally pulling a fire alarm during the vote for the House spending bill that will fund the government. He was charged with a misdemeanor and pleaded guilty in late October. As part of the deal, Bowman has to write a letter of apology and pay a $1,000 fine.
JD hit the ground running with regard to their mission.
Following the 2018 midterms that saw the Squad get elected, JD and the climate change activist group, Sunrise Movement, organized a pro-New Green Deal sit-in inside then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. The Sunrise Movement has also been involved in the past and current pro-Palestine protests across the United States after Israel was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7.
A collection of socialists, Bernie Sanders staffers, and far-left politicos are behind the creation of JD.
JD was started in 2016/2017 by far-left Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, Secular Talk radio host Kyle Kulinski, and a handful of former Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign staffers.
Not long after JD started making waves, Uygur was forced to resign in Dec. 2017 over misogynistic and racist comments he had made in the past on his blog. Kulinski also resigned, mainly in what was seen as a protest over what happened to Uygur.
Since 2019, JD has been run by former Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign staffer Alexandra Rojas. JD had ties to the “Brand New Congress” PAC, which was also run in part by Rojas and Sanders staffers.
Sanders’ 2020 campaign also had its own run-in with antisemitism in hiring American-Palestinian Amer Zahr as an official member of the campaign.
Zahr openly supports the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and the Washington Free Beacon described Zahr as a “comedian who has defended notorious anti-Semites, accused President Donald Trump of leading "a KKK rally," and routinely claimed that Israel stole land from the Palestinian people.”
The KKK rally reference was about a Trump rally held in North Carolina.
Going back to the activities of JD, since the terror attack on Israel, the organization has put out a regular flow of statements attacking President Biden for his support of Israel, but also other Democrats for their censure of Tlaib.
Recent posts to various social media platforms for JD are pro-Palestine and two condemn the censure of Tlaib.
One of the two on Tlaib's censure is a statement claiming Congress is taking out its "anti-Palestinian bigotry" on Tlaib.
"Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib’s moral courage will never be extinguishable, but these 22 Democrats’ cowardice & bigotry will be the only thing we ever remember of them,” the JD post reads.
An earlier post to the JD Instagram account is a video of Tlaib calling for a cease-fire. During that same rally, she repeated lies about the debunked bombing of a hospital in Gaza which are mentioned in her censure. JD characterized the remarks as "One of the most powerful speeches ever heard on the Washington Mall..."
"Any member who remains silent is condoning the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza,” reads a JD post from Oct. 13.
Posts to Facebook were similar, focusing on the Squad's efforts attempting to force a ceasefire resolution in the House.
"The Ceasefire Now Resolution, co-sponsored by Justice Democrats in Congress is the only resolution which acknowledges Palestinian and Israeli humanity. We need more morally courageous political leaders who will fight for this—not state-sponsored genocide,” an Oct. 17 Facebook post reads.
On Facebook, JD has also taken aim at AIPAC, a “bipartisan, pro-Israel political action committee,” that says it is “the largest pro-Israel PAC in America and contributed more resources directly to candidates than any other PAC.”
President Joe Biden has also been a target of JD social media posts. In one of the posts, JD characterizes Biden’s actions supporting Israel as “war-mongering.”
Another post says “blood” is on Biden’s hands and as well as the hands of Congress.
JS also took aim at the new Speaker of the House, once again ignoring the bloody terror attack on Israel and calling Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) a “Christian nationalist.”
So far, no media outlets appear to have picked up on the statements made by the Squad’s benefactor and JD continues to pull in big donation amounts, raising $844,423 between Jan. and June of this year; a promise of more Squad-like candidates to come.