The House approved a resolution denouncing socialism in a Republican effort intended to split Democrats and force members of the minority party into an uncomfortable position ahead of the midterm elections.
The resolution was adopted in a 220-192 vote, largely along party lines, with eight Democrats joining all Republicans in backing the measure. Another two members voted present.
The resolution is symbolic as it does not hold the weight of law, but it’s likely to provide key campaign fodder for Republicans heading into competitive races this fall.
At the core of the four-page resolution is an effort to “condemn and denounce socialism in all its forms,” specifically referring to the Democratic Socialists of America.
The group has experienced a recent surge with some members ousting establishment Democrats in their primaries, paving the way for more progressive members to be elected to Congress next year.
The resolution specifically listed DSA proposals to abolish the Senate, implement ranked-choice voting in all elections, and to replace the two-party system as platform policies to be denounced.
The DSA has already been criticized by some Democratic members this year, particularly for the group’s stance on Israel and Palestine. However, even some of the most vocal pro-Israel Democrats rejected the anti-socialism resolution on Tuesday due to unrelated language tucked into the proposal that deals with election reform.
The resolution includes a provision calling for the “enactment of the SAVE America Act,” a proof-of-citizenship and voter ID bill that Republicans have argued is crucial to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. Although that bill, in its varying forms, has passed the House three times, it’s been stalled in the Senate for months due to Democratic opposition.
Some pro-Israel Democrats accused their Republican counterparts of including that language as a “poison pill,” referring to a provision included in legislation to make it unacceptable to the opposing party so that they’ll oppose it.
“This isn’t a serious bill,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a vocal supporter of Israel who opposed the resolution, told Axios. “If you actually want to take on socialism instead of playing political games, you don’t slip in the SAVE [America] Act as a poison pill that you know no Democrat will vote for.”
Instead, Democrats such as Gottheimer proposed an amendment to the resolution that would denounce socialism in other countries and criticize some of the DSA’s most controversial stances, such as abolishing the Senate and “call[ing] for noncitizens and incarcerated criminals to vote in American elections.”
However, that amendment was not allowed a vote — prompting Democrats to accuse their Republicans of acting in bad faith.
“I mean, it’s really trying to show the Republicans are not serious about wanting to do that, right?” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, another vocally pro-Israel Democrat. “This is just political games.”
Moskowitz did not vote on Tuesday.
Democratic leaders also voted against the resolution, citing the inclusion of the SAVE America Act.
“House Republicans continue to desperately push toxic voter suppression legislation instead of working to make life more affordable for everyday Americans in the midst of a searing cost-of-living crisis,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “House Resolution 1490 explicitly calls for enactment of the so-called SAVE America Act, which is the top legislative priority of far-right extremists.”
Republicans are likely to use the resolution during the upcoming campaign period to target their Democratic opponents. Republicans have made it a focus in this midterm cycle to accuse Democrats of supporting communism, pointing to the DSA specifically.
