House to vote on censuring Rep. Tlaib, Rep. Greene, expelling Rep. Santos
FOX News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on House votes to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as well as a vote to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y.
The House of Representatives voted to kill a resolution to censure progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., on Wednesday night.
Nearly two dozen Republicans voted along with all House Democrats to table the resolution in a final vote of 222 to 186 in favor of killing the motion without debate.
Democrats briefly broke out into applause when the resolution failed.
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Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., addresses attendees as she takes part in a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2023. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)
Tlaib had been the target of a censure, a form a formal punishment in the House, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., over Tlaib's comments and actions related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
A retaliatory resolution aimed at censuring Greene, introduced by Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., was pulled from the schedule shortly before voting began. Fox News Digital reached out to Balint's office as to why but did not immediately hear back.
Greene had blamed Tlaib for a protest last month that saw hundreds of Gaza ceasefire demonstrators arrested after they took over the Cannon House Office building. Greene repeatedly referred to the protest as an "insurrection" in the text of her resolution.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Getty)
After the vote Greene railed against the 23 Republicans who opted to table her resolution, calling them "feckless."
"This is why Republicans NEVER do anything to stop the communists Democrats or ever hold anyone accountable!!" Greene wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
A wide array of members from the GOP Conference voted to table the resolution – from House Freedom Caucus Chairman Chip Roy, R-Texas, to moderate Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif.
A censure against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by Democratic Rep. Becca Balint was withdrawn on Wednesday night (AP/Wilson Ring)
One of the 23, Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said he was taking a stand for free speech in voting to halt the Tlaib censure but condemned her rhetoric about Israel.
"As much as I disagree with previous comments made by Rep. Tlaib, First Amendment liberties are for every American, and I will support this constitutional right, whether the speaker is on the political left or right and whether they are speaking heinous lies or harsh truths," Walberg said. "When we hear evil speech, we should not look to the government for the answer but rather speak up as individuals to denounce it."