A group of House Democrats, primarily consisting of the far-left “Squad,” voted against a resolution on Wednesday that condemned the “barbaric” attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
The resolution, H.R. 771, which emphasizes America’s support for Israel in its response to the attack, garnered significant bipartisan backing. It passed with a vote count of 412-10, while six members opted to vote present.
The 10 members who voted against the resolution comprised six of the eight Squad members. Those who opposed were Minnesota Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee and Missouri Rep. Cori Bush. They were accompanied in their dissent by Indiana Rep. André Carson, Texas Rep. Al Green and Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez.
The remaining Squad members, Texas Rep. Greg Casar and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, along with Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez, Illinois Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chose to vote present.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican, voted against the resolution due to apprehensions that it might exacerbate the conflict. However, he unambiguously denounced the Hamas attack and upheld Israel’s right to self-defense, a stance not shared by some Squad members.
I condemn the barbaric attack on Israel and I affirm Israel’s right to defend itself.
However, I will not be voting for House Resolution 771 today because:
1) It calls for sanctions on a sovereign country. Sanctions are a prelude to war and hurt the citizens of the country more…
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 25, 2023
This decisive vote occurred shortly after the newly elected House speaker, Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, pledged that his inaugural action would be to introduce the resolution to the floor, signaling support for Israel.
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar recently expressed vehement disapproval toward President Biden and the Democrat leadership for their endorsement of Israel during the conflict with Hamas. Her fervent remarks were delivered at a press conference alongside other Squad members, advocating for a ceasefire. This event transpired a day subsequent to her retraction of statements that wrongfully accused Israel of causing the Gaza hospital explosion. Despite U.S. intelligence confirming that the explosion wasn’t a result of an Israeli Defense Forces projectile, Omar refrained from apologizing.
Other Squad members, such as Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, have encountered intense scrutiny for their reactions to the attacks. Tlaib echoed Hamas’ narrative, asserting that Israel was culpable for the hospital explosion, a claim refuted by U.S. intelligence findings.
