We thought we might have seen a new low from Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who a few weeks ago was one of just two members—the other being Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)—who voted against banning Hamas terrorists from the United States. On Wednesday night, though, she was the sole member to vote "present" on a resolution from Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Kathy Manning (D-NC), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA ) that condemned the rapes and sexual assaults that Hamas terrorists carried out in their October 7 attack against Israel.
All other voting members supported the resolution, 418-0-1. Not one member voted against it. All other Squad members voted for the resolution, except for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who was among the 12 members not voting.
As Frankel pointed out in her post, the resolution makes clear that "[r]ape & sexual assault are not acceptable tools of war."
A press release from Frankel's office laid out examples of what the resolution that Tlaib couldn't bring herself to vote for does:
- Condemns all rape and forms of sexual violence as weapons of war, including those acts committed by Hamas terrorists on and since October 7th;
- Calls on all nations to criminalize rape and sexual assault, and hold accountable all perpetrators of sexual violence, including state and non-state armed groups;
- Calls on all international bodies to unequivocally condemn the barbaric murder, rape, sexual assault, and kidnapping by Hamas and other terrorists on and since October 7th, and hold accountable all perpetrators;
- Reaffirms the United States Government’s support for independent, impartial investigations of rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas on and since October 7th; and
- Reaffirms its commitment to supporting survivors of rape and sexual violence, including those brutalized on and since October 7.
The text of the resolution speaks to considerable evidence about such atrocities, including the "thousands of testimonies from eyewitnesses;" how "photographic evidence, forensic medical units, and morgue workers have identified bodies subjected to mutilation and trauma consistent with sexual assault and rape, including shattered pelvises;" body cam footage; admissions from terrorists; testimony from Israeli hostages; and a report known as the "Israeli Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children."
One point of the resolution also somberly points out that "it has been reported that many victims of rape and sexual assault on October 7th, were murdered by the Hamas perpetrators and are unable to provide testimony[.]"
The press release also references a disturbing report from The New York Times that contains graphic descriptions of the horrors that took place on October 7:
Israeli authorities have gathered “tens of thousands” of testimonies of sexual violence committed by Hamas on Oct. 7th . A New York Times investigation uncovered more horrific stories, including eyewitness accounts of “more than 30 bodies of women and girls in and around the [music festival] site…legs spread, clothes torn off, signs of abuse in their genital areas,” a woman’s corpse with “dozens of nails driven into her thighs and groin,” a woman “shredded into pieces,” a woman’s breast sliced with a box cutter and thrown into the street—among numerous other grisly reports. The investigation establishes that the attacks against women were, “not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence on Oct. 7th.”
Tlaib responded to her "present" vote, sharing from her official X account remarks from the House floor during which she tried to bring up "both sides."
"All acts of sexual assault are horrific," Tlaib claimed, even as she then failed to take the chance given to her to vote against condemning sexual assaults and rapes that Hamas perpetrated against Israelis. Tlaib also raised further accusations against Israel as she noted "war crimes cannot justify more war crimes."
By the end of the clip, Tlaib was ranting against her colleagues, even though all of them did the right thing in voting for the resolution. "Congress did nothing, never cared," she argued about previous claims from the anti-Israel UN, adding her view that "we all have a responsibility to denounce sexual violence in all forms, regardless of who is responsible. This resolution falls well short of that responsibility, Mr. Speaker," she added before yielding.
The resolution, as reporting from The New York Post pointed out, even did what Tlaib has asked for in the past. "The resolution also affirms support for subsequent independent investigations into the matter — something that Tlaib had requested following the bombing of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City after disputing both Israeli and US intelligence findings that it was perpetrated by terrorists," the report noted.
One particularly significant part of the resolution also noted that "Whereas some international bodies have been slow to condemn Hamas brutal actions on October 7th, and in some cases, failed to explicitly mention instances of sexual and gender-based violence against women[.]" Perhaps Tlaib took issue with such bodies that have failed to do so—looking at the United Nations here—and didn't like them being called out for it.
Even Congressional Progressive Caucus Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who expressed similar concerns as Tlaib did and called for a "balanced" criticism while appearing on CNN's "State of the Union" last December, voted for the resolution.
Of course, the "no" vote from Tlaib a few weeks ago and the "present" vote from Wednesday are not the only examples of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments from the congresswoman. The House censured her on a bipartisan vote last November for spreading falsehoods against Israel as well as for her defense of the genocidal phrase "from the river to the sea." That resolution from Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) also called Tlaib out for "[defending] the brutal rapes, murders, beheadings, and kidnapping—including of Americans—by Hamas as justified ‘resistance.'" Tlaib has also shamefully refused to speak to the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists, including when it comes to beheading babies.
Perhaps the best we can expect from the Squad member here is a "present" vote then. It's still not good enough.