Fourteen House Democrats voted “no” on a resolution condemning antisemitism.
Ninety-two Democrats voted “present.”
House Resolution 894 was designed to denounce the “drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world.”
Those who voted “no” include:
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
- Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)
- Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA)
- Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IlL)
- Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
- Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA)
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
- Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL)
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)
Democratic Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY), Daniel Goldman (NY), and Jamie Raskin (MD) released a statement urging their colleagues to vote “present.”
“Today’s Resolution, authored by Representatives Kustoff and Miller and backed by Republican leadership, is just the latest unserious attempt by Republicans to weaponize Jewish pain and the serious problem of antisemitism to score cheap political points,” the statement reads. “Last week, the Congress recognized that denying the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state— the core definition of Zionism — constitutes antisemitism. This new resolution is therefore redundant of ones we have all supported and is instead intended to waste important floor time to use the rise of antisemitism as a political wedge issue.”
“In order to stop the Majority from playing these political games, we will vote Present, and we urge our colleagues — regardless of their substantive views of the resolution — to do the same.”
“Among other problems with this resolution, H. Res. 894 does not account for the complexity of Judaism itself and ignores nuanced examples such as the Satmar sect, a Hasidic Jewish movement, which remains staunchly anti-Zionist and quite obviously is not antisemitic,” the statement continues, adding, “The threat of antisemitism and the safety of Jewish lives is not a game. It is beneath the dignity of Congress and it is an affront to Jews everywhere to treat rising antisemitism as an opportunity to create partisan division with conceptual confusion, and we encourage all members of good conscience to vote Present on H.Res. 894 and urge Speaker Johnson to immediately bring the resolution authored by Nadler, Goldman, and Raskin to the floor for a vote so that the Congress can meaningfully address the problems rather than use feckless messaging bills for political gain.”
On November 28, Republican Representatives David Kustoff (TN) and Max Miller (OH) introduced the resolution to “condemn and denounce antisemitism in the United States and around the world,” according to a press release.
“Since October 7th, we have seen an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents, attacks, harassment, and discrimination both in the United States and across the globe,” Kustoff said. “Such hate has no place in our national discourse, and it is imperative leaders voice their strong opposition to these horrifying acts of violence and discrimination. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution that will show the world that the United States’ support for the State of Israel and the Jewish community is steadfast and unwavering.”
“The World has seen a drastic rise of antisemitism since October 7th that is deeply disheartening and extremely concerning,” Miller similarly noted. “Elected leaders must have the courage to condemn and fight all forms of domestic and global antisemitism.”
