In a recent development, “Squad” Democrats Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., have accused Israel of committing “war crimes” and “genocide” in Gaza. This comes as they were the only two representatives who voted against a bill that aimed to bar Hamas terrorists from entering the United States.
The bill, known as HR 6679 or the “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act,” was introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Penn. It expanded a U.S. ban on Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) officers to include all PLO members and also barred Hamas members and other participants in the Oct. 7 attack from entering the U.S. The legislation made it clear that any person involved in the attack on Israel or subsequent attacks would be ineligible for any relief under the immigration laws.
While the bill received support from 422 members of the House, Bush and Tlaib voted against it, and Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., voted present. Tlaib criticized the bill as unnecessary, stating that it was redundant with existing federal law. She accused Republicans of using the bill to incite hatred and promote anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim sentiments.
Ramirez, on the other hand, voted present, expressing her frustration with political games and the time wasted on a bill that she believed was already addressed by current law. She compared it to the recent impeachment proceedings and argued that the bill did not effectively address border security or protect communities.
It is worth noting that Tlaib and Bush are part of a small but vocal minority of Democrats who have been critical of Israel in the ongoing conflict. Tlaib, in particular, was among the first to condemn Israel for an airstrike on a hospital in Gaza, which was later disproven by U.S. intelligence.
At the time of writing this article, Tlaib, Bush, and Ramirez had not responded to requests for comments on the matter.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, a breaking news writer for Digital and Fox Business, contributed to this report. She is based in Orlando, Florida, and welcomes story tips and ideas at [email protected]. Stay tuned for the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more politics content.
