23 Republicans vote against resolution condemning antisemitism

Republican politicians argue measure was 'watered down' and 'did not lend support to Christians'

Almost half-a-dozen Republican politicians voted against a resolution condemning antisemitism and other forms of hate.

They argued that the measure “did not lend support to Christians” and failed to properly condemn congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s controversial comments on US-Israel relations.

In total, 407 congressman and women voted to pass the resolution which defined antisemitism as “hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States”. It also condemned Islamophobia and other expressions of bigotry.

Democrats, including Ms Omar, voted for the resolution. All of the 23 who voted against, were Republican.

Among them was Wyoming's representative Liz Cheney, who called the vote a “sham”. She said the language in the resolution ”did not address the issue that is front and centre”.

The resolution was tabled after comments made by Ms Omar were labelled antisemitic by critics from both parties, although the resolution did not mention the congresswoman by name.

Ms Omar, who in January became one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, said Israel’s supporters push lawmakers to pledge “allegiance to a foreign country.”

The remark, made at a bookshop appearance in February, was viewed by some politicians as playing into a Jewish trope about divided loyalties among Jewish-Americans.

Speaking about her decision not to support the resolution condemning antisemitism, Ms Cheney said: “For Democratic leadership to kowtow to their radical members and refuse to offer legislative language that criticises Representative Omar's statements in the strongest possible manner confirms what we already knew: that their party is controlled by far-left extremists who can't even muster the courage to stand up to blatant anti-Semitism.”

Other Republicans complained that the resolution did not mention White people and Christians.

In a statement emailed to the Washington Post, Alabama's congressman Mo Brooks said that he voted against the resolution because its wording “suggests America's House of Representatives cares about virtually everyone except Christians and Caucasians”.

Likewise congressman Michael Conaway of Texas, told The Washington Post that the measure ”included the Democrats' kitchen sink, but did not lend support to Christians, Mormons, and many other groups that face regular discrimination in this country and abroad.“

Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky alluded to the abortion debate in his criticism of the resolution condemning antisemitism.

In a tweet, he wrote: ”Now that the resolution protects just about every group on the planet, can we add 'babies on the day of their birth' as a protected class?“

Meanwhile congressman Steve King of Iowa, who was stripped of his committee consignments in January for questioning why “white supremacy” and “white nationalist” have become offensive, abstained without

However, other Republicans argued that the resolution had been “watered down” when it was revised to condemn discrimination against several minorities rather than just antisemitism.

Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas said in a statement that all the edits to the resolution had made it “so generic that it lost its meaning or significance.”

And congressman Chris Collins of New York wrote on Twitter that he voted against the resolution because he “did not feel it was strong enough in support of Israel”.

After the votes on the resolution were tallied up, many Democratic lawmakers expressed their condemnation of the Republicans who voted against the measure.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter: “Where’s the outrage over the 23 GOP members who voted NO on a resolution condemning bigotry today? Oh, there’s none?”

Did they get called out, raked over, ambushed in halls and relentlessly asked why not? No? Okay. Got it.”

Additional reporting by Washington Post