Trying to bully or censor me won't work because this movement for a ceasefire is much bigger than one person. It's growing every single day. There are millions of people across our country who oppose Netanyahu's extremism and are done watching our government support collective punishment. [00:00:18] Like me, Mr. Chair, they don't believe the answer to war crimes is more war crimes. The refusal of Congress in the administration to acknowledge Palestinian lives as chipping at way at my soul. >> Speaker 2: The cowardly and pathetic House of Representatives voted late [00:00:34] Tuesday to censure Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who is, I'll remind you, the only Palestinian American in Congress. The vote was 234 to 188. And if you did some quick math there, you'll realize that, [00:00:51] that means more than 20 Democrats joined Republicans on Tuesday night to censure a member of their own party. After an effort to shelve the measure failed earlier in the day. Now, four Republicans did not vote to censure Rashida Tlaib. Some of the Democrats who did vote to censure her include Dan Goldman, [00:01:10] Ritchie Torres, of course, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Chris Pappas, and there was several others. Now, on the other side, Ken Buck, Thomas Massie, John Duarte, and Tom McClintock voted against the censure. [00:01:25] So a little more from the Associated Press [LAUGH]. While the censure of a lawmaker carries no practical effect, it amounts to severe approach from colleagues, as lawmakers who are censured are usually asked to stand in the well of the House as the censure resolution against them is read aloud. [00:01:44] But the resolution against Tlaib did not call for the public admonishment. Now, just as a reminder of why they voted to censure her. Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, posted a video of Michigan protesters chanting from this river to the sea, [00:02:01] part of a chant condemned by Jewish groups and the ADL as antisemitic. And I've criticized the ADL many times for this. The ADL classifies antizionist statements in the same way that they classify antisemitic statements. So someone actually committing a hate crime against a Jewish person is [00:02:20] classified the same as someone saying that they don't believe that Israel has a right to self-defense. Absolutely, patently absurd. Now, the whole slogan calls for Palestine to be free across all of the territory that now encompasses. [00:02:38] My God, I cannot speak today, [LAUGH] encompasses Israel. Israelis and their supporters in Congress and beyond view it as a call for Israel's destruction. And in some cases, they say that it is a call for the eradication of all Jews for the region, which is absurd considering there are Palestinian Jewish people. [00:02:58] But in a response to the backlash, Rashida Tlaib clarified, here, from the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for [00:03:15] all people no matter faith or ethnicity. Now, many Democrats and some Republicans who opposed censuring Tlaib cited free speech and warned of the precedent it would set. Here is Jamie Raskin doing just that. [00:03:31] >> Speaker 3: America must stand tall for the Constitution of the United States, and this resolution is about one thing and one thing only, the punishment of speech. So we have the chance to show the world what the American Constitution means, and [00:03:46] how we hold fast to our core principles, even when we're drawn away from them by our passions and our righteous anger. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and the very heart of it is our First Amendment, which protects every citizen's freedom of speech and [00:04:03] says Congress shall make no law abridging it. >> Speaker 2: Now, despite facing censure, Tlaib wrapped up her speech in defense of herself to continue her plea for a ceasefire take a look. >> Speaker 1: 71% of Michigan Democrats support a ceasefire. [00:04:20] So you can try to censure me, but you can't silence their voices. I urge my colleagues to join with the majority of Americans and support a ceasefire now to save as many lives as possible. President Biden must listen to and represent all of us, not just some of us. [00:04:38] I urge the president to have the courage to call for a ceasefire and the end of killings, thank you, and I yield. >> Speaker 2: Rashida Tlaib is hands down the bravest member of Congress. She's been standing strong on this issue despite abhorrent [00:04:56] racism being directed at her. She was censured, but the Republican member of Congress who said, we are going to turn Gaza into a parking lot, wipe it off the map, no censure, no censure. Every member of the Republican Party who's gone on the news and [00:05:14] said that endorse genocide of Palestinians, no censure, no punishment. The party welcomes that, the party loves that. No condemnation from the pro-Israel members of the Democratic Party either. It is absolutely despicable, and you can't call it anything other than racism. [00:05:36] Targeting the only Palestinian American in Congress and censuring her for calling for the freedom of her people, standing up against a genocide, and she's been censured. I think the second censure in the history of our legislature was [00:05:54] against a member of the House who called for an end to slavery. I think that, that draws a stark reality of what the institution has been created and used to protect in the past and is still being used to protect now. [00:06:12] Jackson, what are your thoughts? >> Speaker 4: Well, I think know at the end of the day, what people have to do is get more involved in the political process. And honestly, it's really that simple. [00:06:27] Progressives have a very good opportunity, especially now. We're looking at a lot of people within the establishment just literally being in their 80s, [LAUGH] you know what I'm saying? Like Dianne Feinstein passed away and many people won't necessarily die while they're serving, but they're gonna be retiring. [00:06:44] More and more of an opportunity for us to capitalize on these types of issues, to say this is why we need more progressives in office. Fund our own candidates, because otherwise the influence that Israel money and [00:07:01] Israeli lobby money has, it's not gonna change. It's not gonna go anywhere. We have to literally replace people who are in these elected positions. And it's not just within the federal government, it's getting involved in our backyards and in our communities, and state elections and local elections. [00:07:20] Enforcing a change, being leaders in our own right, being brave like Rashida is, taking the stand to even take these types of losses that she's being forced to take out of her will. [00:07:35] But we have to keep the fight alive, but I think that, again, at the end of the day, this is an opportunity for us to see what we need to do and to respond accordingly. We need more progressives in office so let's get them in office. >> Speaker 2: Absolutely, and you mentioned the power of the AIPAC lobby, [00:07:51] and you're not saying these fights are gonna be easy, right? And I don't think anybody in the audience should take that away as the message because these fights are difficult. Why is Nina Turner not in Congress right now? Because of AIPAC money flooding the special election in favor of [00:08:09] Shontel Brown. I mean, they don't just donate, right? They donate, as I mentioned earlier, across the aisle to Republican candidates and to right wing [LAUGH] Democratic candidates in order to thwart people who are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause from gaining power. [00:08:28] So these battles are going to be difficult, but they are worth fighting. And we're seeing right now 80% of Democratic voters polled, 80% support a ceasefire. And yet, there's only a handful of Democrats willing to call for [00:08:46] a ceasefire in Congress. And that is because of money and politics, it's something we talk a lot about here on the network. But I'm sorry, Ritchie Torres is not just independently coming to the conclusion that he needs to be the most pro-Israel person in the House of Representatives, okay? [00:09:05] That's not just something he randomly stumbled upon or feels passionate about, he is severely well funded by AIPAC. And that's why he's on Twitter every day yelling at college activists and defending Israel and defending the genocide happening right now in Gaza. [00:09:24] Because of the money, it's because of the money. I mean, of course, not every single Democratic member who voted to censure Rashida Tlaib gets AIPAC funding, but almost all of them do. So you can't remove that element. [00:09:41] And Jackson, I'll just let you get the last word on this. >> Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, a lot of people don't like to hear that we need to get more involved. But my involvement in the political space will, to do my best to put people within my network as I continue [00:09:58] to grow in positions of power so that we can make a change. You know what I'm saying? Otherwise, we just ask him. So in my opinion, I think that it's our job to believe that we can make a change and do our best. And for me, as long as I'm in this kinda position and [00:10:15] I continue to carry out my plans to just get more involved in communities, then I'm gonna continue to believe that I personally can make a difference. >> Speaker 2: Awesome. [MUSIC]