Two Democrat Congresswomen have voted against banning Hamas terrorists involved in last October’s attack on Israel from ever entering the US.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush argued that the bill is "redundant" and will be used by Republicans to "incite" hate.
The No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act passed the lower chamber by a vote of 422 to 2.
The bill - introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock - will see members of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Palestine Liberation Organisation or other individuals involved in the October 7 terrorist attack disqualified to enter the US, even if seeking asylum.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib (right) and Cori Bush (left) argued that the bill is 'redundant' and will be used by Republicans to 'incite' hate
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Tlaib, who is a critic of Israel’s war against Hamas, claims the bill will be used to "incite anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hatred".
In a statement, she said: "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."
Bush, who echoed Tlaib's opposition to the bill, is a member of the far-left "Squad" of congressional Democrats.
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In a tweet, she said: "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."
Since October 1997, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have both been categorised as Foreign Terrorist Organisations by the US.
Their members are already blocked from entering the country.
Rashida Tlaib, who is a critic of Israel’s war against Hamas, claims the bill will be used to 'incite anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hatred'
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Now, H.R. 6679 expands the ban to members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and anyone involved in the October 7 attack who is not a member of a terror group.
The attack in October last year killed 1,200 people and saw another 253 taken hostage.
McClintock said in a statement: "It is imperative that Congress ensures that these bad actors will find no refuge in the United States."
