Five House Republicans Block GOP Censure of Indicted Dem McIver

The House of Representatives voted 215-207 to table a Republican-led resolution that would have formally censured Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver and removed her from the Homeland Security Committee over assault charges stemming from a protest at an ICE detention center in Newark. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins, was blocked with the help of five Republicans—Don Bacon, Mike Flood, David Joyce, David Valadao, and Mike Turner—who joined Democrats in opposing the measure. McIver was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly assaulting federal agents, but she pleaded not guilty and denied the charges. The vote revealed divisions within the GOP, as some members, including those on the House Ethics Committee, preferred to allow ongoing investigations to proceed rather than pursue immediate censure. The U.S. attorney prosecuting McIver, Alina Habba, a former personal attorney to President Trump, has faced legal challenges to her appointment. Despite the failed censure effort, other Republicans continue to seek punitive actions against McIver and fellow protesting lawmakers, including measures to strip committee assignments or expel them from Congress.