Democrat progressives are accused of siding with Iran after voting ‘no’ on measures condemning the ‘murderous’ regime’s attacks on Israel.
Speaker Mike Johnson put 17 new bills on the House floor schedule after Iran launched over 300 drone and missile attacks on Israel over the weekend.
They would require the U.S. to ‘fully implement’ sanctions on Iran and make sure there aren’t any loopholes, restrict Iranian imports and crack down on financial transactions between the U.S. and Iran and sanction Chinese companies that buy oil from Iran.
But a handful of progressives voted against measures that were put on the floor and passed today, including notorious ‘Squad’ members Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and AOC.
And now they are being criticized for their vote as Congress scrambles to get a foreign aid package over the finish line and provide support for the top U.S. ally.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com that the Squad Democrats are embracing Iran’s ‘murderous regime.’
Iran launched over 300 drone and missile attacks on Israel over the weekend
A handful of progressives voted against the bills, including notorious ‘Squad’ members Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and AOC
An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024
Rashida Tlaib was slammed for voting against imposing harsher penalties on Iran
‘It’s clear to me, the woke Socialist Squad has fully embraced the murderous regime in #Iran — the world’s most nefarious State Sponsor of Terrorism and one of the most cynical Human Right violators,’ he said.
Several measures hit the floor and passed today, including a bill by Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Calif., that prevents ‘aggression-deterring’ sanctions against Iran from expiring in 2026 on a 407-16 vote.
Another bill to ensure humanitarian aid is not used to fund Iran-backed terrorism passed overwhelmingly 408-13.
Bhavini Patel, a more moderate Democrat candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania, slammed her primary opponent Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., for voting against the humanitarian aid bill.
She called it an ‘alarming – and telling – vote’ by the progressive in a post to X.
Another of the bills declared the phrase ‘from the river to the sea,’ controversially used by Tlaib, D-Mich., to be anti-Semitic.
GOP Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., slammed votes against this particular bill.
‘You can’t get more antisemitic than endorsing calls for the total annihilation of Israel,’ he said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
‘Once again, the Democrat Party has solidified its position as the pro-terrorist party.’
Several of the progressives, including Tlaib, have come under fire for supporting pro-Hamas propaganda and for urging for a total ceasefire in the Gaza-Israel war.
Johnson pushed off plans for ‘appliance week,’ to make room for the anti-Iran measures.
The House was expected to vote on a series of messaging measures against the Biden administration’s regulations on home appliances like gas stoves.
Speaker Mike Johnson has put 17 new bills involving Iran and Israel on the House floor schedule after Iran launched drone attacks on Israel over the weekend
Republicans are planning dozens of votes on measures in support of Israel and condemnation of Iran, led by Ayatollah Khameini, above, after the weekend attacks, but still do not have a path forward on funding for the U.S. ally
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com that the Squad Democrats are embracing the ‘murderous regime.’
In light of the attacks, Democrats have turned up the heat on Johnson to put the $95 billion, Senate-passed supplemental funding bill with money for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific on the House floor.
But Johnson announced his own $95 billion foreign aid package – including separate votes for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Conservative hardliners have warned Johnson against attaching any Ukraine funding to an Israel aid bill.
Israel has deemed Iran’s 350-missile attack a ‘declaration of war,’ though it said 99 percent of the missiles were intercepted.
The attack was in response to Israel’s drone strike in Syria that killed 12 Iranians, including two top generals.
Meanwhile President Biden is facing mounting pressure to contain the crisis, with defense experts claiming the president has allowed the conflict in Gaza to spread and that the expanding battle lines risk pulling in allies including the US.
Donald Trump last night accused Biden of ‘weakness and incompetence’ as he railed against his election rival for failing to address the American public following the attack by Tehran, its first-ever direct assault on Israel.
IDF spokesman Peter Lerner on Monday morning confirmed that there would be retaliation from Israel, stating that this could involve ‘a strike or no strike.’
He explained that military top brass had submitted ‘a wide range of options’ and that there are ‘a lot of different scenarios’ on the table.
Iranian missiles launched into Israel, as seen on Iranian TV
The Israeli government will ‘decide on the steps forward’ as early as Monday or within the coming days, Lerner told reporters.
Johnson has signaled that he wants to get foreign aid for both Israel and Ukraine across the finish line. But he hasn’t said whether that will consist of one vote or multiple.
Appearing with Johnson on Friday, Trump said he was ‘taking a look’ at Ukraine aid, but favored it in the form of a loan rather than a direct grant.
Johnson and his top brass have discussed using the Lend-Lease Act, which would require Ukraine to give back any military equipment that is not destroyed after a certain time frame, and the REPO Act, which would seize Russian assets that have been frozen across the globe for Ukraine.
An image-grab from a video taken early on April 14, 2024, shows rocket trails in the sky above the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem
But a motion to vacate has loomed over Johnson’s head since Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launched the bid to oust him last month. The Georgia Republican is a staunch opponent to Ukraine aid and has already threatened to try to boot Johnson if he brings it to the floor.
With Republicans’ razor-thin majority, Johnson can only afford to lose three Republicans and keep his job.
The Senate-passed bill included both humanitarian and military aid: $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Johnson suggested he would not be putting the Senate bill on the House floor, adding military-only aid is ‘more palatable’ to members.
‘No American taxpayer should be tasked with propping up the pension system of the nation of Ukraine.’
Any foreign aid bill would likely have to come to the House floor under suspension of the rules, meaning it would need a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
The bill would lose a number of Democrats would oppose further aid to Israel without humanitarian conditions. It would lose a number of Republicans who outright oppose Ukraine aid – potentially jeopardizing its chances of passing.
But Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries insisted the bill would pass even under suspension – he would put up enough Democratic votes.
‘I believe that there are a sufficient number of votes to make sure that the national security bill makes it over the legislative finish line,’ Jeffries said.