Republicans Prevent Rashida Tlaib From Being Censured

The House of Representatives' failure to elect a speaker is preventing the potential censure of Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib as she faces criticism for refusing to apologize for blaming Israel for a deadly strike on a Gaza hospital.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for Tlaib to face censure on Wednesday, but the lack of speaker of the House means that no vote on the matter can take place.

Rep. Jim Jordan, the leading GOP candidate for speaker, failed to secure the 217 votes necessary to win the speaker's gavel on Wednesday, and no vote was held on Thursday. Another one is scheduled for 10 a.m. E.T. on Friday.

The business of the House has ground to a halt since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted earlier this month. Until a new speaker is elected or a temporary one is empowered, the House will not be able to proceed with legislation.

The current impasse also appears to stymie efforts at censuring members as a formal censure requires a majority vote.

Greene took to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday to announce that she would be seeking to censure Tlaib.

Newsweek has reached out to Greene's and Tlaib's offices via email for comment.

"I'm writing a censure resolution for Rashida Tlaib. After what she did today, I expect even Democrats will join in," Greene wrote on the social-media site. "She is an Israel hating America hating woman who does not represent anything America stands for."

The Georgia politician was referring to Tlaib's refusal to apologize for a post on X where she had said: "Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood."

On Wednesday, Tlaib joined thousands of protesters at a solidarity rally on Capitol Hill calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike for the blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital on Tuesday. However, Israel's authorities denied any responsibility and said the blast was caused by a rocket launched by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad and that it misfired. The group has also denied responsibility.

Speaking in Israel, President Joe Biden said that the "other team," not Israel, was responsible for the explosion at the hospital. U.S. intel has also said that Israel did not attack the hospital.

While Greene and other Republicans in the House majority might favor censuring Tlaib, it's difficult to see how they could do so without a speaker.

A 2016 report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) outlined the role of the speaker in censures.

"A 'censure' is a formal, majority vote in the House on a resolution disapproving a Member's conduct, generally with the additional requirement that the Member stand at the 'well' of the House chamber to receive a verbal rebuke and reading of the resolution by the Speaker," the report said.

Greene told Fox News on Thursday that Republicans need to unify and elect a speaker. She is supporting Jordan.

"It's the right thing to do, it's the mature thing to do, it's the responsible thing to do because Republican voters across America gave us this majority, and we are throwing it away, and there is no excuse for it," Greene said.

A plan to grant Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry temporary powers failed on Thursday after it became clear that there was not enough support among GOP members to empower him.

It's possible to grant the speaker pro tempore powers on a temporary basis. This would allow the House to get to work on passing legislation and moving forward on spending bills to avert a November 17 government shutdown.

NBC News reported on Thursday that McHenry told Republican colleagues he might resign as speaker pro tempore if the House GOP tries to move legislation on the House floor without first voting to expand his powers.

"If you guys try to do that, you'll figure out who the next person on Kevin's list is," McHenry reportedly told a closed-door meeting. He was referring to McCarthy's secret list of Republicans who could serve as temporary speaker.

On Wednesday, Jordan won 199 votes from his Republican colleagues, but 22 voted for another Republican, leaving him short of the 217 votes needed to secure election.

All 212 Democratic members of the House voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.