House Democrats, along with four Republicans and the only independent member of Congress, voted to condemn President Donald Trump's comments telling four progressive Democrats to "go back" to their home countries.
The resolution was approved by a 240-187 margin.
The Republicans breaking from party ranks were Will Heard of Texas, Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Susan Brooks of Indiana. Independent Rep. Justin Amash also voted along with the Democratic majority. Amash recently left the Republican party, and has been a vocal Trump critic.
The vote did not come without controversy.
During House Speaker's Nancy Pelosi's House speech on the resolution, Republicans objected by saying that her comments violated the House's rules on decorum. Republicans then called for a vote to strike Pelosi's comments from the record.
With Democrats holding the majority, the motion to strike her comments was defeated.
Later during the debate, ex presidential candidate Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, drew controversy by discussing comments made by Trump referring to "s---hole countries." Swalwell later withdrew those words from the record.
Brooks later issued a series of tweets explaining her vote against Trump and expressing disappointment in Democrats for not holding members responsible for what she described as "their targeted, anti-Semetic and hateful speech."
Today, I voted to condemn the racially offensive remarks the leader of our country made. However, I remain disappointed that the Democrats refuse to hold their own members accountable for their targeted, anti-Semitic and hateful speech.
— Susan W. Brooks (@SusanWBrooks) July 17, 2019
My hope for our country is that we can move beyond divisive rhetoric in order to more effectively govern.
— Susan W. Brooks (@SusanWBrooks) July 17, 2019
