The House voted on Wednesday to censure Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) over an animated video he posted that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). All Democrats and two Republicans voted in favor of the censure, and Gosar was stripped of his two committee assignments, reports BuzzFeed News.
This marked "the first time a sitting House member has been censured in more than 10 years," reports CNN's Jim Acosta. The resolution stated that depictions of violence can lead to real harm being done to people. Gosar defended himself by saying "it was not my purpose to make anyone upset," and argued the cartoon was simply making a statement about immigration policy. "There is no threat in the cartoon other than the threat immigration poses to our country," he said on the House floor ahead of the vote. He also compared himself to Alexander Hamilton, who faced a failed censure vote as treasury secretary.
Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, said: "This is not about me ... This is not about Rep. Gosar, but this is about what we are willing to accept."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some of the Republicans who voted against the censure argued either that the video didn't cross the line, or that it set a bad precedent.
The last censure of a sitting House member was in 2010, when former Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) was censured for failing to pay taxes. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was stripped of her committee assignments earlier this year, but not censured. Gosar will no longer sit on the House's Natural Resources and Oversight and Reform committees. Read more at BuzzFeed News.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Why does Donald Trump keep showing up at major sporting events?Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
