Washington — On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that denounces socialism “in all its forms,” serving as a political statement ahead of the upcoming elections in November.
The resolution was approved by a vote of 220 to 192, with two members abstaining. Notably, eight Democrats joined their Republican counterparts in supporting the measure. The two Democrats who abstained were Representatives Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire.
The Democrats who voted in favor of the resolution included Representatives Kathy Castor of Florida, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Darren Soto of Florida, and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico.
The House Republican leadership organized the vote following the success of several democratic socialist candidates in Democratic primaries, suggesting that these victories were related to their efforts to advance President Trump’s voting regulations bill, the SAVE America Act, which has faced delays in the Senate due to a lack of majority support.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, emphasized the dual focus of the resolution, stating, “We denounce socialism and the notion of allowing non-citizens to vote in our elections, as that is part of their platform,” referring to the Democratic Socialists of America.
While only a few congressional Democrats identify as democratic socialists, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, recent primary wins by candidates like Darializa Avila Chevalier of New York and Melat Kiros of Colorado, who defeated incumbent Democrats, have raised awareness of this movement.
The path to the vote was complicated by a small faction of Republican hardliners who voted against a procedural measure earlier on Tuesday, which was necessary to advance the resolution. Their dissent was tied to concerns over a short-term government funding bill.
However, two moderate Democrats, Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, crossed party lines to support the procedural measure, which placed some of their fellow Democrats in a challenging political position.
Following the vote, House Democratic leadership criticized Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez for their actions. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, issued a statement declaring that their decision to collaborate with the Republican majority represented a significant breach of trust that warranted a serious response from the caucus.
Aguilar pointed out that some Democrats had proposed an alternative resolution condemning socialism that excluded support for the SAVE America Act. “We are capitalists who believe in a capitalist system and its regulations,” he stated. “However, what Republicans are attempting to do is turn this into another talking point to promote the SAVE Act.”
Prior to the vote, Jeffries announced his opposition to the resolution, citing his objections to the inclusion of the SAVE America Act. “House Republicans are pushing harmful voter suppression measures instead of addressing the urgent need to improve affordability for everyday Americans amid a significant cost-of-living crisis,” he said. “House Resolution 1490 explicitly calls for the enactment of the so-called SAVE America Act, which is a top priority for far-right extremists.”
