Vulnerable Democrats vote to denounce socialism amid midterm pressure

Several Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted with Republicans to adopt a resolution that formally denounces socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America. The move reflects increasing pressure on Democrats to respond to the successes of DSA-backed candidates in primaries around the country as Republicans look to make anti-socialism a winning message.

Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Don Davis (D-N.C.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) all voted for the resolution denouncing socialism, bucking Democratic leadership. Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) voted present.

All eight “yes” votes are in competitive races for their seat this year. Six of those races are rated as “toss-up” or “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report. Two, Vasquez and Cuellar, are rated “lean Democrat,” which still indicates a challenging race.

Democrats are increasingly having to defend their party from Republican attacks as the DSA has gained ground in primaries throughout the year. Republicans are staking out a battleground as defenders of capitalism while condemning socialism , and the House resolution was a chance to put Democrats on the record opting not to denounce socialism.

But the resolution also contained a measure calling for passage of the SAVE America Act, President Trump’s top-priority voter identification bill. That bill has passed the House on party lines and failed the Senate multiple times, but Republicans insist that condemning socialism goes hand in hand with fixing what they see as problems with election security.

Including a statement of support for the voter ID bill in the resolution, even if nonbinding, was guaranteed to cement many Democrats against it. That bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID to vote.

The Democrats who voted for it anyway said they did so because they saw anxiety about socialism from their constituents and wanted to make a statement.

“Back home in Florida right now, folks are very concerned with the rise of socialism,” Castor told The Hill after the vote. “It comes mainly from the Cuban and Venezuelan folks. They watch what’s happened to their communities when you have that kind of government, and it’s really a tip of the hat to them and their concerns.”

As for the voter ID provision attached, Castor didn’t sweat it because, she said, this was just a signal because the bill cannot pass Congress.

“That’s a joke,” she said of the SAVE provision. “And thankfully, that’s not going anywhere.”

Gonzalez told reporters after the vote that he generally opposes socialism and supports voter ID, although he doesn’t want the provisions in SAVE, like limits to mail-in voting, to come at the expense of older adults and other groups.

“Socialism, I don’t know, I’m from the ’80s. Socialism was not a good word for us, right?” Gonzalez said. “And it just never worked. And I think that most Americans don’t agree with some of those proposals.”

“I’ve always been for voter ID,” Gonzalez added. “We can’t vote in France, and the French can’t vote here, and I think that’s a standard rule across the world.”

Gonzalez said he told leadership he would vote no in advance, as he always does.

“We’re just straight talking people, we tell you what we’re going to do and we do what we say we’re going to do,” Gonzalez said.

When asked if leadership pushed back at all, he brushed it off.

“I get a lot of pushback all the time,” he said.

Gluesenkamp Perez, who is one of the Democratic members most likely to vote with Republicans, posted on social media after the vote, appearing to criticize the SAVE portion while acknowledging the socialism issue is far from a top priority for Americas.

“Working America is hanging on by a thread, trying to feed our families without being beholden to big government or big business,” Gluesenkamp Perez wrote. “Standing around pointing fingers, debating -isms and making people photocopy their birth certificate every time they cast a ballot is not the job.”