“Squad” Democrats, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), stood as the sole dissenters in a House vote on a bill, HR 6679, aimed at prohibiting Hamas terrorists from entering the United States. The legislation, also known as the “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act,” sought to broaden the existing U.S. ban on Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) officers to encompass all PLO members.
Introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Penn.), the bill expanded its scope to bar Hamas members and individuals involved in the October 7 attack from entering the U.S. The legislation stipulates that those who “participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support to, or otherwise facilitated” the October 7 attack or subsequent ones on Israel would be ineligible for relief under immigration laws.
While the bill received support from 422 House members, three far-left representatives voted either against it or present. Representatives Bush and Tlaib voted against the bill, and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) voted present.
In a press release, Rep. Tlaib argued that HR 6679 was redundant, claiming it duplicated existing federal law. She labeled it another Republican attempt to “incite” anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim sentiments, stating, “It’s just another GOP messaging bill being used to incite hatred.”
Rep. Ramirez, explaining her present vote, expressed frustration with what she deemed political gamesmanship. She criticized the bill as unnecessary, asserting that there are already no immigration benefits for Hamas terrorists. Ramirez decried it as a waste of time and resources, emphasizing that it did not address meaningful border security or enhance community protection.
Tlaib, Bush, and Ramirez, part of a minority within the Democratic party critical of Israel, have been vocal in their stance amid the ongoing conflict. Tlaib notably condemned Israel over a later-discredited claim that it had struck a hospital in Gaza, an incident ultimately attributed to a rocket fired by militants that fell short. At the time of this response, the three representatives had not provided immediate comments in response to requests.
