INTERNACIONAL
Reporter’s Notebook: Tlaib forces rare House procedure after Republican accuses her of defending terrorists
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
«Words taken down.»
That term of art may not mean much off Capitol Hill. But it’s a phrase which usually signals there’s a ruckus in the House of Representatives.
The House witnessed one such melee recently. Lawmakers debated a war powers resolution for Lebanon. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., pushed the measure, hoping to restrict President Donald Trump’s conflict in Iran. Especially as other places in the region emerge as flashpoints.
Tlaib, a Palestinian-America, is one of only two Muslim women in Congress. She is one of the most controversial members of Congress. And she often speaks out against Israel.
«We must end U.S. participation in the Israeli apartheid regime’s invasion of Lebanon. The Israeli military continues to target journalists like Amal Khalil and use our tax dollars to commit war crimes,» said Tlaib.
RASHIDA TLAIB HIT WITH HOUSE CENSURE THREAT, ACCUSED OF ‘CELEBRATING TERRORISM’ IN PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEECH
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is pushing the federal government to recognize and enforce numerous rights for the homeless population, including the right of «freedom from harassment» from law enforcement and property owners. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
But the House floor devolved into a verbal fracas when Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, tore into Tlaib, attacking her personally and mentioning Hezbollah during the floor debate.
«Its members are butchers that you like to hang out with to a certain extent,» charged Miller, who is Jewish. «Yes, you advocate for terrorists on a daily basis. You advocate for a terrorist regime every single day.»
Tlaib hollered at Miller from across the chamber, but it wasn’t clear what she said since the Michigan Democrat wasn’t on mic.
«Oh, I’m sorry. Are we getting a little emotional?» chided Miller.
Tlaib erupted, at that, shouting even more loudly at Miller.
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., presided over the debate from the dais. Obernolte had enough of the verbal judo and slammed down the gavel.
«Colleagues, this is a serious topic. We will debate it respectfully and deliberately,» admonished Obernolte. «Is the gentlewoman from Michigan making a motion?»
NANCY MACE CHALLENGES DEM REP TO ‘TAKE IT OUTSIDE’ AFTER ‘CHILD, LISTEN’ COMMENT SPARKS CHAOS
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., attends a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands hearing on the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act and other legislation in the Longworth Building on Dec. 7, 2021. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)
Tlaib had made it to one of the mics in the chamber by this point.
«Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am. That is a direct attack on my character. I please request to strike the words down,» said Tlaib.
And there it was. «Words taken down.»
Tlaib may have garbled the precise verbiage of the parliamentary request. But her motion brought debate on the war powers resolution and all other business before the House to a screeching halt.
«The gentleman from Ohio will be seated,» Obernolte instructed Miller.
In effect, Tlaib’s motion is the parliamentary equivalent of pulling someone over for speeding. You might get a ticket. Maybe not. Especially if you’re cooperative with the officer. But the authorities will first investigate. And that’s what unfolded on the House floor.
During this stasis, the House conducts no business. The House suspends speeches. Amendments. Votes. Nothing happens on the floor until they figure out if someone broke the rules.
The phrase «words taken down» refers to the process of the House’s institutional staff and stenographers to document or «take down» language uttered by a member that may violate House rules. The House prohibits members from personal attacks on fellow lawmakers, impugning the motives of their colleagues or «engaging in personalities.» One member can’t disparage another personally.
Tlaib clearly believed that Miller broke House rules by saying she would «like to hang out» and «advocate for terrorists.» Tlaib also believed the line about her «getting a little emotional» may have crossed the line, too.
‘SQUAD’ MEMBER DELIVERS REAL-TIME WHITEBOARD RESPONSES TO TRUMP: ‘NO KING!’
Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, said he stood by his remarks associating Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., with Hezbollah «butchers.» (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
If it’s pretty clear that a member broke the rules of decorum, someone from leadership or key staff may ask offending lawmaker to withdraw the language in question and apologize. But if the member resists, the House has no alternative but to rule that member out of order. The House then expunges the speech and he or she is suspended from speaking on the House floor the rest of the day.
If the chair rules that member violated the rules, it’s possible that someone could appeal the ruling of the chair. That would entail a roll call vote, where the entire House votes yes or no on whether they believe their colleague broke the rules. Or, another member might move to «table the appeal of the ruling of the chair.» In that scenario, the House votes on whether to kill or set aside the appeal. Thus, the vote is a step removed from actually voting on appealing the chair’s ruling.
After an hour of delay, it was clear that Miller wouldn’t apologize or withdraw his statement.
«The words of the gentleman from Ohio contain an allegation that the gentlewoman from Michigan is a ‘butcher’ and affiliated with a terrorist organization,» said Obernolte. «Such remarks impugn the patriotism and loyalty of the member of the House.»
Obernolte added that «the remarks contain personalities and are not in order. Without objection, the offending words are stricken from the record.»
So the House sanctioned Miller for breaking the rules and benched him for the remainder of the day.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., managed the Lebanon war powers debate on the floor for the GOP. Since the House muted Miller, Mast spoke on his behalf.
«I’m going to deliver a message from Rep. Miller of Ohio,» said Mast, who quoted this Republican colleague. «‘Yes, I said it. I own it. And I stand by it.’»
CHAOS ERUPTS DURING IMMIGRATION HEARING AS DEMOCRAT LUNGES AT CHAIRMAN’S GAVEL: ‘I’M TIRED OF YOU’ ‘
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., said supporters of the Lebanon war powers resolution are acting as «proxies for Hezbollah.» (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
The Florida Republican then asked the House if he could submit for the record an article entitled ‘Rashida Talib, member of secret Facebook Group where Hamas Terrorists glorified.’»
Tlaib objected.
Mast then tried to submit into the record a transcript about Tlaib allegedly speaking about genocide.
Tlaib objected to that as well.
Yours truly first encountered a parliamentary donnybrook like this in 1994 while working at C-SPAN. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., tangled with then-Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y. The House ruled Waters out of order. Then-House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., came to the floor to mete out the punishment, not leaving the umpiring to a more junior lawmaker.
The day after the Tlaib/Miller brouhaha, Obernolte released a bipartisan framework to help establish guardrails for AI.
I pressed Obernolte on how an AI chatbot might handle the dust-up if it were presiding over the House.
«AI is actually very good at this. You give it a rules manual and then you give it a specific instance and say ‘Is this in compliance with rules or is this a violation of the rules?’» said Obernolte. «I think last night was obviously someone engaging in personalities. And, I think I made the correct ruling. I think AI would have also made the correct ruling.»
It wasn’t that long ago that the actual Speaker of the House came to the floor to sort out a kerfuffle between two members. Could the House ever delegate such refereeing to AI?
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Taking down words? Ruling members out of order? Suspending members for additional speeches that day if they get out of line?
One can imagine that members will say a lot of words worthy of being taken down if AI ever becomes the parliamentary umpire in the House of Representatives.
congress, politics, wars, foreign policy senate, house of representatives politics, rashida tlaib
Iran’s ‘CRITICAL’ oil blockade: Red Sea CHAOS, crude PRICE SHOCK
Dagen McDowell highlights how Iran’s financial support of terror proxies, including the Houthis in Yemen, has led to a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. This significant escalation in the Middle East jeopardizes critical oil shipping lanes in the Red Sea, causing global investors to remain on high alert due to potential economic repercussions.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran on Wednesday of flying members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into Yemen, saying Tehran’s actions helped ignite a renewed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
«They decided to send direct flights from Tehran into Yemen, carrying IRGC elements and others into the country,» Rubio told reporters. «And the Saudis responded to it.»
Rubio did not identify the flights, specify how many IRGC personnel were allegedly transported or provide evidence supporting the allegation.
RUBIO SAYS US REMAINS OPEN TO IRAN TALKS BUT WARNS THERE ‘WILL BE CONSEQUENCES’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 22, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
He made the remarks while attending an annual gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Manila, Philippines, where the U.S.-Iran conflict and threats to international shipping were among the central security concerns.
The Houthis have declared a blockade targeting Saudi-linked vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening to widen the conflict and disrupt another critical global trade route.
The rebels say they are targeting ships connected to Saudi Arabia or traveling to and from the kingdom’s Red Sea ports in retaliation for Saudi restrictions on Yemen and a recent attack on the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa.
IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY HOUTHIS THREATEN FRESH ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT STRIKE
Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the airport attack, which they said was intended to stop a flight carrying Houthi leaders home from Iran. Rubio disputed that account and alleged that Tehran was using direct flights to transport IRGC personnel and others into Yemen.
The Houthis later launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, marking one of the most serious confrontations between the two sides in years.
Rubio said U.S. officials had spoken repeatedly with Saudi officials during the past week about the Houthi threat.
IRAN CALLS ON HOUTHIS TO PREPARE TO CUT OFF RED SEA GATEWAY — CAN THE TERROR GROUP DO IT?
«Anything that restricts shipping through the Red Sea would be problematic for the same reasons that the Strait of Hormuz is problematic,» Rubio said. «So we’re watching that closely.»
Saudi Arabia’s military has vowed to keep Bab el-Mandeb open and respond firmly to Houthi threats against commercial vessels using the waterway.
The narrow strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. Around 12% of global trade and roughly one-quarter of worldwide container traffic normally pass through the route.
Its importance has grown as the U.S.-Iran conflict has sharply curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on Red Sea export routes to transport oil to international markets.
A Houthi follower looks on, during a pro-Iran demonstration, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran continues, in Sanaa, Yemen April 6, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
The Houthi-run SABA news agency claimed six vessels had altered course after receiving warnings from the group, a claim that could not be independently verified.
The Houthis say the blockade is limited to Saudi-linked shipping. During their earlier campaign connected to the war in Gaza, however, the rebels attacked more than 100 vessels, including ships with little or no apparent connection to Israel.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the latest Houthi threat had not materialized.
«So far, it hasn’t happened,» Trump told reporters. «I think that if there is something like that, we’ll just have to take care of business.»
Rubio’s accusation came as the U.S. military carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes against targets in Iran. U.S. Central Command said the latest targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.
Speaking to Southeast Asian leaders, Rubio also warned that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, collect tolls and attack ships that refused to comply would set a dangerous precedent for international waterways around the world.
«If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and, if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,» Rubio said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Rubio said Iran’s support for the Houthis reflects a broader pattern of backing armed groups across the Middle East.
«The Houthis, Hezbollah, the militias in Iraq, Hamas — this is what Iran spends its money on,» Rubio said. «It’s not on its people. It’s on supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing actors in the region.»
war with iran, marco rubio, iran, saudi arabia, world
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. would «take care of things» if Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis follow through on threats to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, as his administration reportedly backed Riyadh’s renewed military campaign against the group.
His comments came after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia Monday, only days after Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport and after Iran reportedly instructed the group to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the U.S. attacks Iranian power infrastructure.
TRUMP THREATENS TO EXPAND STRIKES ON IRAN, SAYS POWER PLANTS ARE NEXT TO GO: ‘HIT THEM HARD’
«So far, it hasn’t happened, might happen, but we take care of things,» Trump said in the Oval Office. «If something like that happens, we take care of it.»
President Donald Trump announced «major combat operations» in Iran, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Saudi forces targeted Sanaa International Airport on Monday after an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying Houthi officials back from Iran was forced to divert, according to Axios. A U.S. official told the outlet the aircraft was believed to be carrying weapons, missile components and Iranian military personnel intended for the Houthis.
Trump’s warning comes as the administration has expanded military operations against Iran while the Houthis threaten to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. The developments have fueled concerns that Washington could become increasingly involved in efforts to secure one of the world’s most important maritime trade corridors while simultaneously confronting Tehran in the Persian Gulf.
The prospect of simultaneous disruption at the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb has become one of the biggest concerns for global shipping markets: together, the routes normally carry roughly one-third of global seaborne oil trade and serve as critical arteries for energy shipments between the Middle East, Europe and Asia, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
The Houthis already have shown they can disrupt one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors. Since late 2023, the group has carried out more than 190 attacks on commercial shipping, forcing major carriers to abandon the Red Sea route in favor of the far longer trip around Africa.
US President Donald Trump meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived at the White House to fanfare and a jet flyover Tuesday, in his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought Trump’s approval before launching the latest strikes against the Houthis — and that approval was granted, according to the Axios report.
The White House could not be reached for comment. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command declined to comment.
For years, the Houthis have evolved into one of Iran’s most effective regional partners, allowing Iran to pressure global commerce while avoiding a direct military confrontation with the United States or its allies. The group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones at commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, disrupting international shipping and forcing vessels to reroute around southern Africa.
IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY HOUTHIS THREATEN FRESH ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT STRIKE
Yemen’s Iran-backed armed Houthi group has warned they will move to shutter the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait through missile-drone attacks if Gulf nations join the US-Israel war on Iran. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
Although direct fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis largely subsided following a U.N.-brokered truce in 2022, the group continued expanding its missile, drone and maritime capabilities with Iranian support. This week’s exchange of Saudi airstrikes and Houthi missile attacks marked the most significant cross-border escalation between the two sides in roughly four years.
Bridget Toomey, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the latest escalation was driven by Saudi concerns that Iran and the Houthis were attempting to establish a dangerous new status quo by opening a direct air link between Tehran and Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
She said such flights would create an easier route for Iran to move weapons, drones and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers into Yemen, posing a threat not only to Saudi Arabia but also to broader U.S. and international security interests.
TRUMP WON’T RULE OUT KHARG ISLAND TAKEOVER: WHAT A US ASSAULT COULD LOOK LIKE
«A direct air connection between Tehran and Sanaa would be a serious threat, not just to the international community, but also to Saudi Arabia,» Toomey told Fox News Digital.
Rather than signaling a return to the yearslong Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, Toomey described Riyadh’s response as «a measured escalation» intended to demonstrate it would not allow such an air bridge to become normalized.
That objective appeared to shape one of Saudi Arabia’s most consequential strikes this week.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world’s busiest maritime choke points. Nearly 15% of global seaborne trade passes through the corridor each year, making it a critical route for commercial shipping and energy supplies moving between Asia and Europe.
A satellite imagery shows Bab el Mandeb Strait, a key shipping waterway and the gateway to the Red Sea, as Iran threatens using Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, in this handout picture dated July 12, 2026. (Nasa Worldview/Handout via Reuters)
The latest threat comes as commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also faced disruption amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. While the two waterways are separated by hundreds of miles, together they form the principal maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf with Europe. Serious disruption to both would place additional pressure on global energy exports, increase shipping costs and deepen supply chain disruptions.
Toomey said the Houthis occupy a unique position within Iran’s regional network because of where they are located.
«They’re crucial to Iran’s broader ability to expand the conflict,» she said. «Iraqi militias or Hezbollah don’t sit on a maritime choke point.»
Still, she cautioned against viewing the Houthis simply as an extension of Tehran, noting that Iran’s command and control over the group has historically been less direct than its relationships with some of its other proxy organizations.
Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, said Trump’s backing of the Saudi operation and his latest warning to the Houthis point to an administration willing to support regional allies while confronting Iranian-backed groups that threaten maritime commerce.
«The Iranians are trying to project power. The president is supportive of any effort to limit that projection,» Roman told Fox News Digital.
Roman said the airport strike reinforced Saudi Arabia’s long-running effort to prevent Iran from establishing a direct supply corridor into Houthi-controlled Yemen.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«We’re certainly not going to allow you to have any shipments to reinforce the Houthis,» he said.
If the campaign continues with Washington’s backing, it would place one of Iran’s most strategically valuable regional partners under renewed military pressure while increasing the cost of Tehran’s broader effort to project power across the Middle East.
saudi arabia, donald trump, war with iran, geopolitics, middle east foreign policy
Aumentaron el boleto y los subsidios para colectivos pero los empresarios del sector dicen que no alcanza
El Gobierno recibió al nuevo embajador del Vaticano en medio de la expectativa por la visita de León XIV
Rubio accuses Iran of flying IRGC personnel into Yemen as Houthi threat escalates
Patti Smith también pidió perdón en medio de la polémica anti Argentina: “Siempre respeté el coraje de su gente”
“Fue una paliza, un dominio absoluto”: Ronaldo hizo un tajante análisis tras la victoria de España sobre Argentina en la final del Mundial
Violento enfrentamiento entre piqueteros y las fuerzas de seguridad en protestas contra el Gobierno por la baja de un plan social
Sin la Copa y sin Messi en el avión, vuelve Tapia y deberá enfrentar tres frentes de tormenta tras la pausa del Mundial
Le ganan a la inflación: los senadores pasarán a cobrar $12 millones brutos a partir de agosto
Escándalo Mundial: Las presiones secretas, la amenaza de la FIFA por Malvinas y la verdad detrás del partido contra España
Samuel L. Jackson llamó a Argentina “el país más racista del mundo”: la contundente respuesta que le dejó Bárbara Lombardo
POLITICA2 días agoSin la Copa y sin Messi en el avión, vuelve Tapia y deberá enfrentar tres frentes de tormenta tras la pausa del Mundial
- POLITICA2 días ago
Le ganan a la inflación: los senadores pasarán a cobrar $12 millones brutos a partir de agosto
- DEPORTE13 horas ago
Escándalo Mundial: Las presiones secretas, la amenaza de la FIFA por Malvinas y la verdad detrás del partido contra España
