13 members of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus refused to condemn Myanmar's generals who violently overthrew elected leaders
- A House resolution censuring those who carried out the Myanmar coup passed by a 398-14 vote on Friday.
- Over a dozen GOP Reps., mostly from the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus, opposed the motion.
- Some of those who voted against the measure tied it to immigration or the results of the US election.
On Friday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution that censured the military coup in Myanmar by a 398-14 vote. Over a dozen Republicans, most of them from the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus, stood in opposition.
The vote condemned the military generals who orchestrated the coup and called for the Biden administration to place sanctions on them.
Some Freedom Caucus representatives tied their votes to right-wing political talking points, and some referenced the 2020 US elections.
Those who voted no were, 13 of whom are part of the Freedom Caucus:
- Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
- Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado
- Rep. Chip Roy of Texas
- Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania
- Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland
- Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina
- Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois
- Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia
- Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama
- Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia
- Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado
- Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, a member of the caucus, voted present.
One Republican, who is not a part of the Freedom Caucus, also voted against the resolution: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Perry objected to Pennsylvania's electors ahead of the insurrection on January 6, and on Friday, and his spokesperson told Forbes that the Myanmar resolution "is an overt attempt to trap Republicans into condemning the claims of evidence of election fraud in Burma while perpetuating similar claims (in the Democrat's views) of evidence in US elections."
Harris issued a statement aimed at immigrants, saying that Congress should address, "COVID positive illegal aliens being dispersed into our communities rather than wasting time on useless resolutions about a foreign country."
Biggs, the caucus chair, posted a video on Twitter explaining his opposition to the resolution.
In the video, Biggs said the violence resulting from the coup is "tragic." However, Biggs says that "there is suffering everywhere in the world" and he believes the US "can't be the military police for the entire world." He alleged that the resolution was a means to "put our foot in the door in Burma."
In Myanmar's November elections, the ruling National League for Democracy won 396 out of 476 seats in Parliament, with the military-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Party winning 33 seats.
The military, known as the Tatmadaw, claimed that the election was rife with voter fraud - charging 8.6 million instances of "voter irregularities" among a population of 54 million - a claim that was rejected by the country's election commission, according to the AP.
Top members of the ruling party, including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, were detained by the military.
Mass protests have followed the coup in Myanmar since early February, and according to the UN, military forces have killed at least 138 protesters since then. The military has also instituted media and internet blackouts.
After the vote on Friday, Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia tweeted that, "The House QAnon Caucus refuses to condemn the military coup in Burma."