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The House quickly passed its first measure after Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) won the Speaker’s gavel after the first ballot on Wednesday.
The GOP-led chamber overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution of support for Israel, 412–10, “seeking to denounce the violence and highlighting the United States’s dedication to defending a key ally,” the Washington Examiner reported, adding that only a handful of far-left Democrats objected.
“The four-page resolution was filed earlier this month, just days after Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on Oct. 7. Six members voted present: Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY),” the outlet added.
“Nine Democrats voted no: 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). All are associated with or adjacent to the progressive ‘Squad,'” the Examiner continued.
The outlet went on to report that Omar and Tlaib have both been heavily criticized for echoing social media posts claims by Hamas regarding a deadly hospital strike in Gaza, which they were then slow to delete.
One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against the resolution, saying he did not agree with provisions that would “call for sanctions on a foreign country” as well as “an open-ended promise of military support that is so broad it could be interpreted to commit U.S. soldiers to the conflict,” among other disagreements.
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
The measure reaffirms the United States’ allegiance with Israel “including through security assistance.” It also supports the Jewish state’s “right to self-defense,” including a vow to provide “emergency resupply” and other forms of support following Israel’s declaration of war against Hamas.
It calls for surrounding countries to condemn the attack by Hamas while also singling out condemnation of Iran for its “support for terrorist groups.”
“President Biden has committed the United States fully to Israel’s self-defense,” said ranking member Gregory Meeks (D-NY), who helped to introduce the resolution. “Israel is responding to the Hamas terror organization’s unprecedented attack. The bipartisan resolution will demonstrate this is one issue in which the House of Representatives is united, and I expect it to pass the House with broad bipartisan support.”
Johnson was elected speaker of the House on Wednesday, ending weeks of indecision and failed nominations that had followed the historic resignation of California Republican Kevin McCarthy.
He was able to rally the GOP behind him as their consensus candidate, but he still has a lot of work to do, including passing legislation to keep the government open, after he takes the gavel.
The final tally on the House floor was 220 to 209 in favor of Johnson, with no Republicans voting no. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the Democratic leader of the House minority, received 100 percent of the vote from his caucus.
According to Politico, after two rounds of voting, “Johnson has the most votes in the House GOP’s latest attempt to nominate a speaker, though he’s still short of the majority he needs to become the conference nominee.”
“Three candidates are now out of the running: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (Tenn.) and Rep. Roger Williams (Texas) were eliminated after receiving the fewest votes, while Rep. Marc Green dropped out after the second round,” the outlet said, adding that Republicans will continue to vote by secret ballot until one candidate manages to secure a simple majority.
Those with the lowest plurality of votes will be eliminated after each round, the outlet reported, adding the breakdown of the latest vote that saw Johnson with the highest tally.
