A lone Republican in Congress has bucked his party to repeatedly support Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and other members of the far-left, stridently pro-Palestinian “Squad.”
Libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has voted against Israel and against condemnation of anti-Semitism three times since Hamas’ surprise terrorist attack on October 7 left 1,200 Israeli civilians dead.
“He probably votes with the team more than any other Republican in the House,” said one frustrated GOP member on Capitol Hill. “Vote no on everything and since Republicans control the House, the team will vote no on everything too.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has found a GOP ally in Rep. Thomas Massie.Anthony Behar/Sipa USA
On October 25, the House voted to condemn Hamas by an overwhelming margin of 412 to 10.
Nine of the 10 dissenters were Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez (Bronx), Tlaib (Mich.), Rep. Cori Bush (Missouri), Rep. Ilham Omar (Minnesota) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-Westchester).
Massie, 52, was the only Republican detractor and said in X that he opposed the measure because it called for sanctions, which he called a “prelude to war.”
Rep. Thomas Massie has repeatedly voted with AOC and other House progressives on Israel.ZUMAPRESS.com
On November 2, the House passed a resolution condemning support for Hamas and Hezbollah on university campuses.
The vote was decided by another overwhelming margin of 396-23. The dissenters included AOC, Tlaib, Omar and other House progressives, while the only Republican opposition came from Massie.
His opposition this time, Massie said in XIt was based on freedom of expression grounds.
That same day, the House approved a $14.3 billion aid package to Israel to aid the country’s war against Hamas. Massie again opposed his colleagues and sided with the squad members in opposing the measure.
Pro-Palestinian supporters were seen protesting at Columbia University.REUTERS
Massie, who has worked for the Bluegrass State in Congress since 2012, said no because of his long-standing opposition to foreign aid.
“We just can’t afford it” published in X.
Massie also closed ranks with the squad and House Democrats by voting against Tlaib’s censure, after the congresswoman publicly defended calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
The measure was approved: 22 Democrats joined 212 Republicans to get it across the finish line.
Massie said your vote It was based on freedom of expression grounds.
In 2019, he joined the team to oppose a bill condemning the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
Again he was the only Republican to do so.
In May 2022, he said no to a House resolution that broadly condemned anti-Semitism. The vote was 420 to 1: he was alone in the opposition.
The son of a West Virginia beer distributor, Massie earned two engineering degrees from MIT, holds two dozen patents, and was a small business owner before entering Congress.
He lives in an isolated house in rural Kentucky that he built himself.
“I just wanted to be left alone and do whatever I wanted,” he said, explaining the evolution of his beliefs to the Austrian Center for Economics in a 2018 interview. “The term libertarian is not part of the vocabulary where I live, but people understand freedom; in fact, in eastern Kentucky, the notion is ‘You mind your own business and your neighbors mind theirs,’ so while they wouldn’t say they are libertarian ideologues, they would say they would mind their own business. So there I found a lot of understanding people and they encouraged me to run as a candidate.”
From left, Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., were photographed together at a news conference. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Being a perennial “no” vote has made Massie one of the least effective members of Congress according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking.
During his decade in the House he has never been the primary sponsor of a bill that became law, records show.
“The greatest challenge to the relationship between the United States and Israel comes not only from the far left but also from the far right. “Thomas Massie is Exhibit A of the far-right’s growing anti-Israel isolationism,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), one of the most pro-Israel members of the current Congress.
Massie has also raised the ire of many of the same Israeli activists, who are now launching primary challenges against members of the squad.
Massie, who has served in the Bluegrass state Legislature since 2012, said no because of long-standing opposition to foreign aid.Getty Images
Last week, United Democracy Project, a pro-Israel super PAC affiliated with AIPAC announced a six-figure ad buy targeting Massie and two other far-left members.
“Their constituents deserve to know that these members of Congress refused to vote in the House to condemn the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7,” PAC spokesman Patrick Dorton told Jewish Insider.
Massie’s office declined to comment, pointing to his statements about X.
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