Bush and Tlaib — the lone votes against 'No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act' — call it 'redundant'

Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan were the only two House lawmakers who voted against a measure that declares all aliens who were involved in the terror attacks against Israel that began on October 7, 2023, as "inadmissible" and "ineligible for any relief under the immigration laws."

Both lawmakers described the proposal as "redundant."

"Any alien who carried out, participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support to, or otherwise facilitated any of the attacks against Israel initiated by Hamas beginning on October 7, 2023, is inadmissible," the measure states in part.

The measure, dubbed the "No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act," sailed through the House in a bipartisan 422-2 vote. Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois voted present. Six others did not vote.

"I opposed H.R. 6679 because it is a redundant, empty messaging bill Republicans are using to target immigrants and incite anti-Palestinian hate. Republicans have ZERO credibility on these issues," Bush asserted.

"H.R. 6679 is unnecessary because it is redundant with already existing federal law. It's just another GOP messaging bill being used to incite anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hatred that makes communities like ours unsafe," Tlaib said in a statement.

"I voted PRESENT because I am done with political games," Ramirez said in a statement. "The majority is wasting time bringing a bill that is already current law. There are ALREADY no immigration benefits for Hamas terrorists. After participating for 15 hours of a sham impeachment, I could not stomach another bill only introduced to score cheap political points, politicize immigration, and divide our communities. Like the Republican’s sham impeachment, this bill does not meaningfully address border security nor further protect our communities. H.R.6679 is unnecessary. It’s a waste of resources and time. And I'm not playing along."

U.S. law currently indicates that aliens who engage in terrorist activity are inadmissible and stipulates that individuals connected with the Palestine Liberation Organization are considered to be involved in terror activity, but H.R. 6679 would add Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as well.

"H.R. 6679 bars Hamas terrorists from receiving any immigration relief under U.S. law. Although current law provides that those aliens engaged in terrorist activities are inadmissible to and removable from the United States, Hamas terrorists are not necessarily barred from receiving other forms of immigration relief. H.R. 6679 explicitly bars Hamas terrorists from receiving any immigration relief or benefit under our laws," a press release on gop.gov states.

"H.R. 6679 simplifies the inefficient and time-consuming analysis for determining whether an alien has engaged in terrorist activities for inadmissibility or removability purposes. While aliens who engage in terrorist activities are already inadmissible and removable under U.S. law, the analysis to determine whether an alien has engaged in terrorist activities is often time-consuming and inefficient. H.R. 6679 simplifies that process, underscoring that the United States has zero tolerance for terrorism around the world and that America will not provide a safe harbor to aliens who were part of the terror attacks against Israel initiated by Hamas beginning on October 7, 2023," the webpage also states.

Hamas has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization for more than two decades.

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