In a surprising move, a group of House Democrats, primarily made up of far-left “Squad” members, voted against a resolution that condemned the “barbaric” attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. The resolution, known as H.R. 771, aimed to reaffirm America’s support for Israel as it responded to the attack. Despite receiving overwhelming bipartisan support, with a vote of 412-10 and six members voting present, the 10 members who opposed the resolution included six of the eight “Squad” members.
The “Squad” members who voted against the resolution were Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Summer Lee, and Cori Bush. They were joined by Reps. André Carson, Al Green, and Delia Ramirez. Notably, Reps. Greg Casar and Ayanna Pressley, along with Reps. Joaquin Castro, Nydia Velázquez, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, and Pramila Jayapal, chose to vote present.
The vote came shortly after newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson declared the House “back in business” and pledged to take action in support of Israel. However, one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, voted against the resolution due to concerns it could escalate the conflict. Nevertheless, Massie explicitly condemned the Hamas attack and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, unlike some members of the “Squad.”
This contentious vote followed a press conference where Rep. Ilhan Omar expressed anger towards President Biden and Democrat leadership for their support of Israel during the war with Hamas. Omar’s comments came just a day after she retracted her previous statements blaming Israel for a Gaza hospital explosion, which was determined by U.S. intelligence to be unrelated to Israeli Defense Forces’ actions. Notably, Omar did not offer an apology for her initial remarks.
Other members of the “Squad,” such as Rashida Tlaib, also faced criticism for echoing Hamas’ claims that Israel was responsible for the hospital explosion, despite evidence suggesting otherwise. These actions have sparked a renewed debate within the Democratic party regarding their stance on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It is important to note that this vote and the subsequent reactions from the “Squad” members have highlighted the divisions within the Democratic party on issues related to Israel and foreign policy. The opposition to the resolution condemning the Hamas attack underscores the far-left’s differing views on this matter compared to the rest of the party.
As the 2024 presidential campaign approaches, this incident may have implications for the Democratic party’s unity and their ability to present a cohesive platform on foreign policy. It remains to be seen how this vote will impact the political landscape and whether it will further deepen the divide within the party.
Brandon Gillespie, an associate editor, provided this report. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg for the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail and exclusive interviews. Subscribe to our newsletter for more political content.
