The GOP-led House got back to business under the new reign of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday by overwhelmingly approving a resolution in support of Israel in its war on Hamas following the group’s deadly terrorist attacks on Israeli soil earlier this month.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) introduced the measure, “Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists,” which passed by a 412-10 vote in a show of bipartisanship.
“The House just passed my bipartisan resolution condemning Hamas and its sponsors for their atrocities against humanity,” McCaul said in a post to X. “With the most cosponsors of any resolution ever, this measure sends a clear message across the globe: The U.S. stands with Israel.”
The resolution contains a number of provisions such as reaffirming Israel’s “right to self-defense,” seeking international disapproval of Hamas’ actions, mourning the Israelis and Americans killed in the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, calling on Hamas to cease fire and release its hostages, condemning Iran and urging “full enforcement” of U.S. sanctions against the country for supporting terrorist groups, and declaring a readiness to “assist Israel with emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.”
Johnson said putting together the show of support for “our dear friend” Israel was “overdue.” He made the comments during a speech upon winning the gavel earlier on Wednesday, ending more than three weeks of the House being paralyzed when members voted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out as speaker.
Newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson tells members of Congress the first bill he plans to introduce will be a resolution stating support for Israel, amid its war with Hamas.
"We're overdue in getting that done," he says. pic.twitter.com/eYnAwZge2b
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 25, 2023
Just one Republican — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — voted against the resolution. He explained his opposition in a post to X.
“I condemn the barbaric attack on Israel and I affirm Israel’s right to defend itself,” Massie said. The congressman then noted that he was opposing the resolution because of its call for sanctions against a “sovereign country,” “foreign aid commitments” at a time when the U.S. is “going bankrupt,” “open-ended promise of military support,” and because it “tends to broaden the conflict to other countries when it would be better to keep the war contained geographically.”
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I condemn the barbaric attack on Israel and I affirm Israel’s right to defend itself.
However, I will not be voting for House Resolution 771 today because:
1) It calls for sanctions on a sovereign country. Sanctions are a prelude to war and hurt the citizens of the country more…
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 25, 2023
Nine Democrats voted against the resolution, including members of the leftist “Squad.” They included: Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Andre Carson (D-IN), Al Green (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). Six others voted “present”: Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY).
Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American member of Congress, claimed the resolution “is not a serious examination of the root causes of the violence we are witnessing and doubles down on decades of failed policy.” She called on the House to pass her “Ceasefire Now Resolution” supported by other leftist members who opposed McCaul’s measure.