In a strategic political move ahead of the upcoming November elections, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 220 to 192 to 2 on Tuesday to formally denounce socialism “in all its forms.” The resolution, which also signals support for the SAVE America Act, saw eight Democrats join the Republican majority in favor, while two members voted present.
The Democratic representatives who broke ranks to support the resolution were 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. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire cast the two “present” votes.
Republican leadership scheduled the vote following recent primary successes by democratic socialist candidates. By linking the condemnation of socialism to the SAVE America Act—a proposal currently stalled in the Senate due to a lack of majority support—GOP members aimed to highlight their legislative priorities. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, stated that the party denounces not only socialism but also the participation of non-citizens in U.S. elections, which he characterized as a core component of the democratic socialist platform.
The path to the floor was not without internal friction. A group of Republican hardliners initially voted against the procedural measure, citing concerns over a separate short-term government funding bill. However, the procedural vote ultimately succeeded after moderate Democrats Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez defected to support the GOP, a move that placed their party colleagues in a difficult political position.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries confirmed he would oppose the resolution, specifically citing the inclusion of the SAVE America Act. Jeffries criticized the legislation, labeling it as “toxic voter suppression” and arguing that it represents the primary legislative goal of far-right extremists rather than addressing the cost-of-living crisis facing everyday Americans.
Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California noted that some members of his party had proposed an alternative resolution condemning socialism that omitted the controversial reference to the SAVE America Act. “We’re capitalists. We believe in a capitalist system and rules and laws,” Aguilar stated, suggesting that the Republican approach was designed primarily to create a new talking point for the SAVE Act.
While only a small number of sitting members of Congress identify as democratic socialists, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the movement has seen recent primary victories, including those of Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York and Melat Kiros in Colorado, both of whom defeated incumbent Democrats.
The legislative session also touched on various other matters, including the passage of a funding bill to avert a government shutdown, scrutiny regarding past social media comments by Abdul El-Sayed, and recent updates to Google Maps following a presidential order regarding the naming of “Lake America.” The report also notes that but what Republicans are seeking to do here is to just add in another talking point where they can talk about the SAVE Act. The report also notes that which is the top legislative priority of far-right extremists,” the New York Democrat said, house Resolution 1490 explicitly calls for enactment of the so-called SAVE America Act. The report also notes that abdul El-Sayed’s deleted tweets on 9/11 invite scrutiny of past remarks. The report also notes that arthur Brooks: Will Socialism Make You Happy.
Source: CBS News
