A Tale of Two Resolutions: 75 Dems Join GOP in Resolution Praising Trump’s Mass Deportation Regime

Yesterday, the US House voted on two resolutions that both claimed to be about condemning antisemitism, but only one truly was.

HRES 481, which condemns the recent attack in Boulder and urges elected and community leaders to speak out against antisemitism, was broadly bipartisan.

The resolution, in its own words, did the following (Read the full text here):

(1) condemns in the strongest possible terms the June 1, 2025, targeted act of terror in Boulder, Colorado, as a cowardly act of ideologically motivated violence;

(2) recognizes this attack as part of a disturbing pattern of targeted aggression against Jewish individuals in the United States;

(3) reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights of all Americans to assemble peacefully and practice their faith without fear of violence;

(4) calls on Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies to ensure thorough investigation and prosecution of all such incidents; and

(5) urges elected officials, community leaders, and civil society to speak out against antisemitism and politically motivated violence in all forms.

It passed 400 to 0, with 2 votes present (Marjorie Taylor Greene, an antisemitic conspiracy theorist, and Rashida Tlaib, the chamber’s most vocal critic of Israel).

J Street praised the resolution in a recent email and noted that it had been whipping votes in support:

“The first resolution is clear, bipartisan and straightforward: It condemns the rise in ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish Americans, specifically the horrific attacks in Boulder and DC, and the arson attack on Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence in Pennsylvania.

With dozens of bipartisan cosponsors, including prominent J Street champions, it’s a powerful show of unified support for our community, especially in such a deeply polarized moment.”

However, the second resolution was a perfect encapsulation of the way that Republicans have been trying to weaponize fears around antisemitism in service of right-wing authoritarian ends.

Here’s J Street on that second resolution:

The second, in contrast, is exactly the kind of resolution you’d expect when MAGA hardliners hijack concerns about antisemitism to push their longstanding anti-immigrant, anti-democracy agenda.

While there are parts of this second resolution we could support, the text overwhelmingly focuses not on antisemitism but on opposition to immigration. Over the past few days, many of the most toxic parts of the resolution have been stripped out, but the final text being voted on today still expresses gratitude to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and frames the entire problem of antisemitism as an immigration challenge.

This is a transparent, well-worn DC play. Put Democrats in a political box by forcing them to choose between voting against an antisemitism resolution so Republicans can slam them as being antisemitic and anti-Israel — or voting for the resolution, so they can hit the Party for being divided and chaotic.

It’s political theater, designed for bad-faith attack ads and Fox News clips.

Two out of the three “resolves” in this resolution, HRS 488, have nothing to do with antisemitism. They are about praising Trump’s mass deportation regime and calling for local and state collaboration with it:

(2) affirms that free and open communication between State and local law enforcement and their Federal counterparts remains the bedrock of public
safety and is necessary in preventing terrorist attacks; and

(3) expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.

Especially at a time when ICE’s terrorism of Los Angeles has been in the front page of the news, this resolution is shameful, as is the attempt to say that anything ICE is doing is being done to protect the Jewish community.

The resolution passed 280 to 113. 75 Democrats shamefully voted for it, and 113 Democrats rightly voted no.

5 cowardly Democrats voted present: Herb Conaway (NJ-03), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), and Dina Titus (NV-01). Marjorie Taylor Greene again voted present.

Here are the 75 House Democrats who betrayed basic Democratic values and voted with the Republicans:

Jewish Democrats in the House split 10 to 10. Among the NO votes were Becca Balint, Suzanne Bonamici, Laura Friedman, Dan Goldman, Sara Jacobs, Mike Levin, Jerry Nadler, Jamie Raskin, Jan Schakowsky, and Brad Sherman.

Pro tip: If Jewish Democrats in the House split 10–10 on your “antisemitism” resolution, it’s probably not actually about antisemitism.

14 Republicans and 19 Democrats were absent for the vote.