House passes resolution condemning socialism in 220-192 vote

The House on Tuesday adopted a resolution to denounce socialism "in all its forms" in a 220-192 vote, with two members voting present. Eight Democrats joined all Republicans in supporting the measure, which is non-binding and does not carry the force of law.

The resolution, introduced by Republican Representative Jeff Crank of Colorado, calls on lawmakers to condemn and denounce socialism, including the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and to reject efforts to replace existing American institutions with socialist alternatives. It also reaffirms support for constitutional government, individual liberty, private property rights, and free-market principles.

The measure additionally includes a statement of support for the SAVE America Act, President Trump's voter-ID legislation that has been stalled for months in the Senate, where it lacks even a simple majority. Republicans connected the vote to recent Democratic primary wins by DSA-aligned candidates.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday: "Not only do we denounce socialism, but also the idea of people that aren't American citizens voting in our elections, because that's part of their platform." Crank charged ahead of the vote that "the DSA candidate platform stands in direct contrast to our republic," citing positions such as abolishing the Senate, open borders, defunding the police, and allowing non-citizens to vote in federal elections.

Democrats Divided

The vote exposed divisions among Democrats. The eight Democrats who voted with Republicans were: Kathy Castor of Florida, Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar of Texas, Darren Soto of Florida, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Don Davis of North Carolina, and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire voted "present."

Representative Ro Khanna of California said he opposed the resolution because he believes democratic socialists are fighting for policies such as taxing billionaires, Medicare for All, and avoiding foreign wars. He argued that Franklin D. Roosevelt built the New Deal coalition by uniting various groups, including people who identified as "socialists," and said Democrats need a similar coalition today, adding: "We need a New Deal Coalition for our time."

Representative Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, criticized the measure as a political maneuver. "What Republicans are advocating also has the SAVE Act, and that's why Democrats carry forward an alternate resolution," he said Tuesday. "What Republicans are seeking to do here is to just add another talking point."

Narrow Passage After Procedural Hurdle

The resolution nearly failed in a preliminary rule vote earlier Tuesday after some conservative Republicans rebelled. It was saved after Democrats Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez voted to advance the rule, which also contained a measure advantageous to the lobster fishing industry. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the decision by Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez to vote for the procedural rule was a "significant breach of trust."

The vote comes as GOP leaders seek to highlight the growing visibility of self-described democratic socialists. According to one report, Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayoral primary, where he defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo, was a key example of DSA success. Nearly 300 DSA-backed candidates have run for office across the country since then.

Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a New York Republican, described how communism in Cuba "destroyed" her mother's family, saying it stripped her mother of her home and her grandfather of his small business, causing "my family to break up and never see each other again." She added, "Let's be clear that socialism is communism lite. Socialism is the first step to communism."

Some Democrats expressed openness to condemning socialism but objected to the inclusion of the SAVE Act in the resolution. Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, told Axios he would have supported the measure had it been solely focused on denouncing socialism.