Democrat says he voted against resolution condemning Hamas supporters on campuses by mistake

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said he mistakenly voted against a resolution Thursday condemning Hamas supporters on college campuses.

“As a visible and vocal advocate against antisemitism on college campuses, especially in the wake of October 7th, I have submitted a correction for the record,” Torres wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I have no use for pro-Hamas protestors, and I despise them with every fiber of my being,” he added.

The House approved a resolution Thursday that condemned the support of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups at higher education institutions. The resolution cleared in a 396-23 vote.

The bill calls on campus administrators to condemn antisemitism on college campuses and to ensure Jewish faculty and students are able to exercise free speech without intimidation.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the lone Republican to vote against the resolution. The other members who opposed the resolution were Democrats, a handful of whom are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

On Thursday, Torres joined another pro-Israel Democrat, Rep. Brad Schneider (Ill.), in criticizing newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) aid package for Israel. The pair argued Johnson is playing a “cynical game” by making aid for Israel conditional on cuts to the IRS.

As one of his first major moves in the role, Johnson and the House GOP rolled out a $14.3 billion aid package for Israel. The aid would by covered by cutting money from IRS funding.

Torres said the decision “sets a dangerous precedent for conditioning emergency aid,” and argued the House should vote on a “clean bill” that would send a message of bipartisan unity to Israel.