Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she pulled her resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Tuesday night after the House advanced a separate resolution to censure Tlaib.
The House eventually approved the other measure censuring Tlaib in a 234-188 vote; 22 Democrats voted to censure their colleague, and four Republicans voted against it.
Greene told reporters she pulled her resolution because she did not want to compete with another resolution.
“I’m not a part of leadership. I’m not the Speaker, I’m not the majority leader, I’m not the whip and I’m not going to be part of a competing censure resolution because leadership failed to organize it,” Greene said. “So, for me, I decided to pull it.”
“She’s getting censured. That’s what I set out to do, and so that’s what’s happening,” Greene continued. “But I think the bigger problem is, we need leadership to be organized and not force Republicans to compete with each other.”
The competing censure resolution was introduced by fellow Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick (R). The chamber defeated a Democratic-led motion to kill the resolution earlier Tuesday.
Greene initially introduced a resolution to censure Tlaib over her comments condemning Israel for its response to Hamas and the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Her first attempt to penalize the Michigan Democrat failed, and she readied a second resolution, which competed with McCormick’s.
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The resolutions came after Tlaib, the first Palestinian American member of Congress, was at the center of controversy over the weekend for posting a video on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that said President Biden “supported the genocide of the Palestinian people” because of his administration’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas. The video also included the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which has sparked outcry from both sides of the aisle.
McCormick voted to hold off on Greene’s resolution because he opposed the language in the bill that accuses Tlaib of “leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol.” The measure also charged Tlaib with “antisemitic activity” and “sympathizing with terrorist organizations.”
In response to McCormick’s resolution, Greene said “they could have had communication within the conference.” She said she sent a letter to colleagues about her bill last week, providing others the opportunity to “say if they had problems or not.”
Greene said she has nothing to be upset about because she was sure McCormick’s censure resolution would pass. She thinks the party could have done a better job organizing its movement.
“Last week and now this week, where there was no communication on censuring the most antisemitic, pro-Hamas, pro-terrorist Democrat member of Congress,” she said. “And so, I’m just … refusing to be part of a system of failure, and I’d like to see change in our party.”
She said pulling her resolution when no one asked her to is “doing the right thing.”
“I think I’m taking the high road … and doing what is actually more professional,” Greene said. “And I’m actually, I’m very happy with that decision.”
She said she didn’t communicate with McCormick that she was pulling her resolution ahead of the vote.
“It’s not about Rich McCormick, nobody cares about Rich McCormick,” she said. “Most people have no idea that he’s even doing this, most people think it’s my resolution.”