While most members of the city's congressional delegation plan to attend Tuesday's speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the House of Representatives, the dean of the delegation, Rep. Charles Rangel, will not be there. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.
On the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress, members of the city's congressional delegation are divided. The majority of them, all Democrats, are going to the speech, but the dean of the delegation, Congressman Charles Rangel, is staying away.
"I am not boycotting the speech. I am just not going to the speech," Rangel said.
Republican leaders in the House extended an invitation without consulting the White House, which is considered a breach of protocol.
House members discussed their plans after a breakfast with Mayor Bill de Blasio at Gracie Mansion.
"I am shocked, I am hurt that the House of Representatives has really reached the point that it would take the national security of the United States and that of our sister friend Israel and make that a partisan issue," Rangel said.
Other representatives expressed similar misgivings, but still said they would go.
"I didn't like how Speaker Boehner handled this," said Sen. Charles Schumer. "But I am certainly going to the speech."
"It is shameful and frustrating that the Speaker of the House, with total disregard to protocol and decorum of the house and the rules, brought us to this point," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, whose district covers parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. "Yes, I'll be attending."
Rep. Gregory Meeks is skipping the speech. Rep. Yvette Clarke said she is still on the fence.
While talk of who is attending the speech is captivating Washington, some House members are eager to move beyond it.
"The controversy over the speech is ultimately not that important compared to the real question, which is how to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose district covers parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The Obama administration is negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran that Prime Minister Netanyahu says does not go far enough. He says it would threaten Israel's survival.