Five House Republicans voted against the procedural rule to bring a resolution condemning socialism to the floor — prioritizing a spending dispute over denouncing the ideology that has devastated American cities, schools, and families.
The defection nearly killed the resolution before it could reach a vote. The rule ultimately passed only because two Democrats broke ranks to support it. The rebellion reveals a Republican conference willing to sabotage cultural fights to leverage spending disputes — exactly the kind of establishment gamesmanship voters are sick of.
Name the Republicans: Reps. Chip Roy (TX), Andy Harris (MD), Ralph Norman (SC), and Clay Higgins (LA) led the bloc, according to the Washington Examiner. Roy and Harris used their votes to protest a short-term government funding bill that passed the House earlier that day. Harris told the Washington Examiner he objected to Senate changes to the legislation, including a delay on restrictions on hemp products and limits on the Trump administration's control over federal grants.
Roy is not seeking reelection. Norman's term ends in January after a failed Senate bid. Both have little to lose from bucking their party on rule votes.
Higgins told the Daily Signal that opposing a rule is a step he rarely takes. "To vote no on a rule requires some very egregious actions from the establishment in some way," Higgins said. "In this case, it's a total failure of the Senate and total acceptance of that behavior by my Republican colleagues over here. So, some of us are saying no." Higgins pointed to the Senate's failure to advance the SAVE America Act and a GOP reconciliation package that includes farmer funding assistance.
The rule passed only because Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) voted in favor. Golden is retiring; Perez is fighting to keep her seat in a competitive district.
Once the rule cleared, the House moved forward with Rep. Jeff Crank's (R-CO) resolution condemning socialism. Even eight House Democrats voted to condemn and denounce socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America.
But six Republicans didn't vote on the resolution itself: Reps. Byron Donalds (FL), Neal Dunn (FL), Michael McCaul (TX), Mary Miller (IL), Cory Mills (FL), and Jay Obernolte (CA). Eight Democrats also abstained.
Meanwhile, the establishment press barely noticed. Four of the five outlets covering Congress that day led instead with the censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) for inappropriate conduct toward female staffers — a scandal story that lets the media paint Republicans as the problem, while a procedural revolt that nearly blocked a condemnation of socialism went underreported.
The rebels say they're fighting the establishment on spending. But when the procedural hostage is a resolution condemning the ideology fueling the destruction of working-class communities, Americans have a right to ask: what are these Republicans actually fighting for?
