The House is set to vote Tuesday on whether to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) over her criticism of Israel in the wake of Hamas’s attack on the U.S. ally.
House Republicans overcame a motion to kill the resolution earlier in the day.
The resolution sponsored by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), accuses Tlaib of “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
The legislation cites Tlaib’s use of the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which the measure says “is widely recognized as a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel and its people to replace it with a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.”
The resolution also references a statement from Tlaib on Oct. 8 that suggested U.S. aid to Israel was in part to blame for the violence playing out in the Middle East.
Here’s what to know about censure measures in Congress:
What does it mean if you are censured?
A censure is a formal vote of deep disapproval of a member’s conduct taken by either chamber of Congress.
How do censures work in Congress?
When the House approves a censure measure with a majority vote, the member being censured must “stand in the well of the House” as the presiding officer reads the censure resolution aloud. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A vote of censure is reserved for “more-serious violations,” according to the House rules. When the House approves a censure measure with a majority vote, the member being censured must “stand in the well of the House” as the presiding officer reads the censure resolution aloud.
According to the House historical website, this is meant to serve as a “form of public rebuke.” In both the Senate and the House, there must be a majority vote to censure a member of Congress for their behavior.
What does a censure actually do?
A vote to censure another member of Congress does not hold any other power beyond a public condemning of that member’s behavior. It does not expel a member from Congress or deny the rights or privileges of that member within Congress.
The Senate website says a censure can have a “powerful psychological effect” on the member and can subsequently threaten the relationships they have with their colleagues. The House website notes that a censure makes the House’s “deep disapproval” of a member publicly known but does not warrant an expulsion.
A censure alone would also not remove a member from their committee assignments, but stripping a member from their committees could be an additional punishment to the censure.
Are there other levels of congressional discipline?
There are three main methods of disciplining a member of the House, including expulsion, censure and less severe forms of reprimanding members.
The House rules state that a reprimand is for “serious violations,” a censure is meant to be used for “more-serious violations” and expulsion is meant for the “most-serious” ones. Reprimanding a member of the House requires a simple majority vote or can be implemented through a committee report and does not require the representative to stand in the well.
A vote to expel a member of Congress would take a two-thirds majority vote in either chamber and has been used sparingly since the first Congress; five representatives have been expelled from the House and 15 senators have been expelled from the upper chamber in U.S. history.
Luna also filed a resolution in May to expel Schiff from the House as the California Democrat makes a bid for the Senate.
How many lawmakers have been censured?
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., one of a group of Republicans who voted against the bid by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for House speaker, leaves the House chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday night, Jan. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The House has now censured 25 lawmakers in history, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) earlier this year.
The previous member to face censure was Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) in 2021, after he posted a video that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and attacking President Biden.
The Senate has censured nine of its members since 1789. The latest senator to be censured was former Sen. David Durenberger (R-Minn.) in 1990 for “unethical conduct” related to personal dealings, Senate reimbursements and campaign funds.