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A member of the progressive “Squad” who is fighting for her political life just got a boost from House Democratic leadership.
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., is running in a competitive primary election this year against an opponent who has set himself up as a more moderate pro-Israel alternative to the outspoken lawmaker.
Bush, however, scored an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-N.Y., on Tuesday.
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“Cori has shown up for the people of St. Louis in the fight for reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention and affordable housing. We stand together to endorse Cori Bush for re-election as we collectively work hard to make life better for everyday Americans and battle the corrosive extreme MAGA Republican agenda,” the trio said in a joint statement.
Bush said she was “proud” to have their support in a celebratory post on Instagram.
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The two-term progressive Democrat is one of Congress’ harshest critics of Israel and its operation in Gaza. She has accused Israel’s government of waging a genocide on Palestinians and consistently voted against emergency funding for the Middle Eastern ally.
It has earned her opposition from within her own party, with the group Democratic Majority for Israel backing her opponent, Wesley Bell. He has also got the support of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a bipartisan pro-Israel lobbying group.
Earlier this year, Bush also revealed that she was the subject of investigations by the Justice Department, Federal Election Commission and House Ethics Committee over her husband’s paid role as a member of her bodyguard detail.
Bush had accused so-called “right-wing organizations” of “peddling notions that I have misused campaign funds to pay for personal security services” in a Jan. 30 statement.
“I have complied with all applicable laws and House rules–and will continue to prioritize the rules that govern us as federal elected officials,” she said at the time, adding, “in accordance with all applicable rules, I retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area, and is able to provide the necessary services at or below a fair market rate.”
House Democratic leaders had indicated early on this year that they would support all of their incumbents – even progressive lawmakers who have fueled the public fracturing of the party in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
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Bush’s Aug. 6 primary will come weeks after Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., became the first “Squad” member to get booted from the House over their anti-Israel stances.
He lost his race to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a moderate pro-Israel Democrat who, like Bell, was backed by AIPAC.