Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) failed Wednesday in her attempt to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk after four Republicans voted against her measure.
Why it matters: Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) provided the decisive vote shortly after Axios reported that Democrats planned to pull a retaliatory censure resolution against him if the Omar measure failed.
- Along with Mills, Reps Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) voted with Democrats to quash the measure.
The intrigue: The vote was 214 in favor of a Democratic motion to table — kill — Mace's resolution, and 213 against, and Mills voted with Democrats at the very last moment before the vote closed.
- Casar, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, confirmed to Axios after the vote that he now plans to withdraw his censure resolution against Mills.
- A spokesperson for Mills did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his vote.
What we're hearing: A senior House Democrat who was privy to the closed-door strategizing around the vote told Axios that they specifically hoped — and expected — to entice Mills to vote against the censure.
- Casar declined to say whether he informed Mills in advance that he planned to withdraw his censure measure if the Omar vote failed.
- "Sometimes the strategy works," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Mills' fellow Floridian, told Axios.
Zoom out: Aside from Mills, the vote reflects growing frustration in both parties with the increasingly common use of censure — once a powerful rebuke for malfeasance — as a tool to punish partisan opponents.
- McClintock said in a statement that while he thought Omar's comments about Kirk were "vile and contemptible ... this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment."
- "Censure is formal punishment by the House and we have already gone too far down this road," he added.
- A group of five House Republicans voted earlier this month to help Democrats kill a censure resolution against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.).
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
