Chaos Ensues on House Floor as Republican Accuses Rashida Tlaib of Supporting Terrorism

Screenshot via X/@AndrewSolender

Chaos ensued on the House floor on Wednesday after Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) accused Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) of supporting terrorism, claiming she liked to “hang out with” members of Hezbollah.

House members were in the midst of a floor debate on Tlaib’s resolution to limit U.S. support for Israel’s war in Lebanon, when proceedings were abruptly halted due to Miller’s remark. The congressman was in the midst of arguing that Democratic opposition to the war in Lebanon was not based on concern for the welfare of the Lebanese people.

“While I can appreciate the passion from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I do not appreciate their lack of education and understanding of what is really going on there,” he said. “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, the gentle lady from Michigan, and its members are butchers that you like to hang out with to a certain extent.”

Tlaib protested instantly, asking Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA), who was presiding over the House, to strike the words from the record.

“Oh, I’m sorry, are we getting a little emotional?” shot back Miller.

Obernolte suspended Miller’s time to hear Tlaib’s objection.

“I’m hanging out with terrorists now?” shouted Tlaib across the chamber.

Miller replied as Obernolte called for order: “I certainly believe you advocate for them, yes. You advocate for terrorists on a daily basis.”

The congressman continued to claim that Tlaib supports terrorists, while Tlaib continued to call for the words to be struck, and Obernolte continued to call for order – all doing so simultaneously.

“That is a direct attack on my character,” said Tlaib, when given the floor. “Please, request a motion to strike the words down.”

The moment triggered around 45 minutes of paused proceedings, according to Axios reporter Andrew Solender, and back-and-forth over Miller’s refusal to agree to have his words stricken from the record.

“I don’t believe I am going to agree,” he told Solender. 

Finally, Obernolte moved to end the drama.

“Such remarks impugn the patriotism and loyalty of a member of the House, which is not in order,” he said. “Without objection, the offending words are stricken from the record.”

Yet more was to follow. Miller was barred from speaking on the floor for the rest of the day, but Republican colleague Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) chose to speak for him.

“Yes, I said it. I own it, and I stand by it,” said Mast, reading a statement from Miller.

He submitted the statement and a Fox News article from 2023 that claimed Tlaib was part of a “secret” social media group, the Palestinian American Congress group, that the outlet claimed “glorified” Hamas. Tlaib did not write any of the messages cited in the article, nor did any of those explicitly state support for the terrorist group.

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