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Forty-four House members vote against resolution declaring ‘river to the sea’ slogan antisemitic

All but one of the 44 lawmakers opposed to the bipartisan bill are Democrats

Marc Rod | Jewish Insider | 4-16-2024

Forty-four House members — 43 Democrats and one Republican — voted against a resolution describing the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic. The final vote was 377-44-1.

The resolution by Reps. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) says the slogan, used widely in anti-Israel protests as well as by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), is “outright antisemitic and must be condemned.”

The “no” votes came largely from progressive Democrats, as well as Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a frequent opponent of measures supporting Israel and condemning antisemitism.

Those voting against the resolution were: Reps. Becca Balint (D-VT), Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Andre Carson (D-IN), Greg Casar (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Chuy Garcia (D-TX), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Summer Lee (D-PA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Katie Porter (D-CA), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rahsida Tlaib (D-MI), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) voted present. 

The resolution further states that the slogan is a rejection of peace efforts and “perpetuates hatred against the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” and that “anyone who calls for the eradication of Israel and the Jewish people are antisemitic and must always be condemned.” 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was censured last year in part over her use of the slogan, with most Democrats standing behind Tlaib at the time.

The “No Paydays to Hostage Takers Act” by Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Moskowitz, which seeks to bar ransom payments to U.S. adversaries and block U.S. passport holders from visiting Iran, passed by a 391-34 vote, the no votes again coming from progressives and Massie.

The votes were part of a series of Israel-related measures that the House considered on Tuesday, the rest of which passed nearly unanimously.

A bill from Reps. French Hill (R-AR) and Juan Vargas (D-CA), the “Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act,” which would require reports to Congress and to the public on the assets of top Iranian officials and leaders of Iranian proxy groups, and a bill by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Brad Sherman (D-CA) to counter the use of human shields by Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad passed by 419-4 votes. 

Bush, Massie, Omar and Tlaib voted against both bills.

The “Iran Sanctions Accountability Act,” by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) to require the administration to issue specific regulations to ensure that humanitarian exemptions on Iran sanctions are not used in furtherance of malign activities passed by a 408-13 vote.

Bowman, Bush, Casar, Garcia, Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Summer Lee, Massie, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Ramirez and Tlaib voted no.

The bill would to extend U.S. sanctions on Palestinian terrorist groups using human shields, give key lawmakers the authority to request that the administration determine and report on whether specific individuals meet the criteria for sanctions, to extend existing sanctions to include PIJ and require a report to Congress on U.S. and allied efforts to combat the use of human shields.

Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) and Michael McCaul’s (R-TX) “No Technology for Terror Act,” which would permanently codify stringent export controls on Iran, was approved by a 406-19 vote.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Bowman, Bush, Casar, Garcia, Jayapal, Johnson, Barbara Lee, Summer Lee, Massie, McGovern, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pocan, Pressley, Ramirez, Schakowsky, Tlaib and Velazquez opposed.

Rep. Michelle Steel’s (R-CA) bipartisan bill to make U.S. energy sanctions on Iran permanent passed 407-16. 

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Bowman, Bush, Casar, Chuy Garcia, Jackson, Jayapal, Johnson, Barbara Lee, Summer Lee, Massie, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, Ramirez and Tlaib voted “no.”

Rep. Claudia Tenney’s (R-NY) bipartisan resolution urging the European Union to fully designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization passed by a 411-14 vote.

Bowman, Bush, Casar, Chuy Garcia, Jayapal, Johnson, Barbara Lee, Summer Lee, Massie, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, Ramirez and Tlaib opposed.

The “Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act” by Hill and Moskowitz, imposing sanctions on producers and distributors of the stimulant drug — potentially including Syrian and Hezbollah leaders — passed by a 410-13 vote.

Hard-right Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Matt Rosendale (R-MT) joined Bowman, Bush, Johnson, Barbara Lee, Summer Lee, Massie, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, Ramirez and Tlaib in voting “no”

The stimulant, popularly used by ISIS terrorists, was reportedly found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists after Oct. 7.

Tlaib in a statement dismissed all of the Israel-related votes this week as repetitive “‘messaging’ bills.” 

“These bills are just an attempt to distract from the genocide in Gaza. I am not voting for any of these bills while the genocide of Palestinians continues,” she said.

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