WASHINGTON — The House passed a resolution Wednesday condemning socialism in all forms, in a 220-192 vote that highlighted partisan fault lines ahead of the November midterm elections.
All House Republicans voted for the measure, and eight Democrats joined them. Two Democrats voted present. CBS News reported the vote was framed as a political message by Republican leaders, who moved it after recent Democratic primary wins by candidates aligned with democratic socialism.
Republicans also used the measure to back President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, a key election-related bill that has stalled in the Senate for months. House Republican Leader Steve Scalise said the party was not only condemning socialism but also opposing voting by noncitizens, which he said is part of the democratic socialists’ platform.
The vote nearly collapsed earlier in the day when several hard-line Republicans voted against a procedural measure over objections to a short-term spending bill. The final floor vote moved forward only after two moderate Democrats, Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, broke with their party and sided with Republicans on the procedural step. Democratic leaders criticized both lawmakers.
