House votes to condemn socialism ahead of midterm election

The House of Representatives voted 220-192 to adopt a messaging resolution to condemn socialism as early as Tuesday, an election-year gambit intended to force an uncomfortable vote for Democrats as far-left candidates win Democratic primaries across the country.

While some Democrats have expressed openness to condemning socialism, Republicans also inserted a call to pass the highly controversial voter-ID bill known as the SAVE America Act into the resolution — a move that repelled some moderate Democrats who might want to vote to condemn socialism.

Many candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America have defeated more moderate Democrats in primaries this campaign cycle, and the GOP has sought to capitalize on the Democrats’ leftward shift as their own brand sinks in the polls.

“We’re going to draw another contrast this week with a vote on the House floor to say not only do we denounce socialism, but also the idea of people that aren’t American citizens voting in our elections,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said in a Tuesday press conference before the vote. “All of that is on the ballot this November.”

Democrats, meanwhile, excoriated the measure as an election-year stunt intended to manufacture talking points on the campaign trail. The resolution itself is nonbinding and does not carry the force of law.

“What Republicans are advocating also has the SAVE Act, and that’s why Democrats carry forward an alternate resolution,” Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said Tuesday. “What Republicans are seeking to do here is to just add another talking point.”

The measure nearly failed in a preliminary rule vote earlier Tuesday after some conservative Republicans rebelled. It was saved, however, after Democratic Reps. Jared Golden, of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, of Washington, voted to advance the rule — which also contained a measure advantageous to the lobster fishing industry.