TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a rare moment of bipartisan rebuke, the Florida House rejected a resolution Tuesday that, among other things, promoted a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
After almost an hour on the House floor, lawmakers rejected the resolution nearly unanimously. Only two lawmakers provided a “yes: vote — the bill’s sponsor, Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon, and Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani. Several other lawmakers, meanwhile, did not vote.
“I’m heartbroken, especially for the Muslim community and the Palestinian community,” said Nixon, who grew emotional while speaking on the House floor. “They’ve been demonized and it’s not right.”
Nixon’s proposal angered Republican and Democrats alike. Brevard County Republican Rep. Randy Fine, a Jewish lawmaker, took particular issue. He questioned Nixon repeatedly, pressing her on the resolution’s use of the term “occupied Palestine.”
Notably, Fine and other Republican lawmakers turned their back to Nixon while she spoke on the House floor. They and others pummeled the resolution throughout the hearing, using terms like “evil,” “anti-Semitic” and “Jew-hater.”
“There is evil in this room and we can fight them here today,” Fine said. “We need to speak. Silence is not enough.”
At least one Democratic lawmaker spoke out against the resolution, too. Hollywood Democratic Rep. Hillary Cassel, a Jewish lawmaker, spoke directly to Nixon at times. At one point, several Democratic lawmakers gathered around Cassel as she grew emotional on the House floor telling the story of Jewish friends and relatives.
“We will not back down, which is what we are constantly told to do,” Cassel said, while facing Nixon. “Where is your resolution to Ukraine telling them to stop defending themselves against Russia? Why is it just Israel?”
The proposed resolution called for an “immediate de-escalation and cease-fire” in Israel and “occupied Palestine.” It also urged the administration of President Joe Biden to send humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
Speaking to Spectrum News after the hearing, Nixon contended that GOP lawmakers mischaracterized her proposal, saying the legislation supports innocent Palestinians while also condemning Hamas terrorism. She defended the proposal further, saying it values all innocent lives involved in the conflict.
“I’m demonized here,” Nixon said. “They got up and turned their backs on me. They labeled me things that I’m not when clearly the bill stated it was against all forms of anti-Semitism. It was against all types of hate. But it was a political stunt, and they wanted to score cheap political points.”
Tuesday’s dust up comes as Florida Democrats navigate the ongoing crisis between Israel and Hamas. Lawmakers are in the midst of a special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which, among other things, may produce sanctions against Iran — a longtime supporter of Hamas — and provide millions to Jewish schools and synagogues in Florida for security.
Israel’s conflict, meanwhile, is a pillar of DeSantis’ presidential campaign. Since the onset of the conflict, DeSantis has made several high-profile moves in support of Israel. Florida chartered several rescue and supply flights into the country. The state is also providing additional security at Jewish synagogues and schools.
A progressive lawmaker, Nixon’s resolution forced a fracture amongst House Democrats. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell told reporters Tuesday that she asked Nixon not to propose the resolution. Nixon’s proposal, she said, isn’t representative of the entire caucus.
“This happened today and our caucus will move on,” Driskell said, listing other pressing issues such as rising property insurance rates. “We will move on. We will fight again tomorrow.”
Tuesday, meanwhile, was not Nixon’s first high-profile dust up. In 2022, she and other Democratic members staged a sit-in on the House floor, delaying a hearing on DeSantis’ congressional map during the redistricting process. The map remains in litigation.
