Two moderate Democrats provided the decisive votes Tuesday to help House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., advance a resolution condemning socialism after conservative Republicans threatened to block the procedural vote.
The measure passed 209-208 when Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., crossed party lines to support the rule vote that unlocked debate on several Republican priority bills this week.
The unusual crossover voting came after five House Republicans voted against the procedural measure in protest of how GOP leaders handled a short-term government funding bill. Those Republicans were Reps. Pete Sessions of Texas, Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, and Andy Harris of Maryland.
What the Right Is Saying
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., confirmed he voted against the rule in protest of a continuing resolution to fund the government, which passed earlier Tuesday. The conservative rebels objected to how Senate negotiators modified an original House-passed funding bill.
"The Senate did violence to our bill," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "Hemp and the grants are the two big ones." Self was referring to Senate additions including a provision delaying a congressionally approved hemp product ban by 30 days and language curbing the Trump administration's control over federal grants.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, had posted on X: "NO ON CR. NO ON RULE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO AMEND AND FIX THE CR." He argued the continuing resolution failed to cut off funding to sanctuary jurisdictions or abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.
Johnson nonetheless secured the votes needed for passage with Democratic help, a victory that gave him leverage in ongoing budget negotiations.
What the Left Is Saying
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters he was not notified in advance that any Democrats would vote to help Republicans pass the rule. The development marked a rare instance of minority party members assisting the majority.
"It's almost unheard of for the minority party to help their political rivals pass a rule," one Democratic aide noted, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Progressive groups have not issued formal statements about the vote as of publication time. Some Democrats privately expressed frustration with Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, arguing that helping Republicans advance legislation undermines party unity.
What the Numbers Show
The final vote was 209-208. Five Republicans voted against the rule: Sessions, Roy, Norman, Higgins, and Harris. Zero Democrats joined those five Republican rebels.
Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez provided the only two crossover votes from the Democratic side. All other voting members of both parties stayed in their respective party lines.
The continuing resolution passed separately earlier Tuesday on a different vote. That measure extends current federal funding levels and sets a new deadline of Dec. 11 for any government shutdown showdown.
The Bottom Line
Tuesday's vote demonstrated that Johnson can find bipartisan support when needed, though the five Republican defections signal ongoing tensions within his conference over spending strategy.
The anti-socialism resolution now advances to floor debate. It remains to be seen whether it will face additional procedural hurdles or attract further Democratic crossover votes during subsequent stages.
Watch for whether Jeffries takes disciplinary action against Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, and whether conservative Republicans attempt similar protests when the full government funding deadline approaches in December.