Democratic Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington voted with Republicans on September 1 to advance a procedural rule on a slate of GOP-led bills, a rare party defection that passed 210-208 and blindsided Democratic leadership. The two centrist lawmakers cast the decisive votes after five Republicans broke ranks, effectively rescuing Speaker Mike Johnson’s legislative agenda for the week.
The rule set up debate on four measures, including a resolution condemning socialism and a bill targeting colleges that boycott Israel. Golden told reporters his vote hinged on a specific provision: the rule contained his bill to delay implementation of fishing regulations meant to protect the North Atlantic right whale population—a key priority for lobstermen in his Maine district.
“I think any member of Congress who introduces a bill for their constituents would be insane to turn around and sink a rule that contains that bill,” Golden said. Gluesenkamp Perez, in a statement, indicated she voted to support Golden’s lobstering measure, framing the decision as backing working waterfronts and practical environmentalism.
House Democratic leaders were stunned by the move. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement calling the vote a “significant breach of trust” and “blindside” of the entire Democratic caucus. They said an internal rules committee would evaluate the matter. Clark told reporters she and other leaders hadn’t received advance notice and called rule votes a core party principle: “It’s one of the rules of being on a team, is that we vote against the rule.”
The defection is nearly unheard of in modern congressional practice. While individual members routinely cross party lines on substantive legislation, minority-party lawmakers voting for the majority’s procedural rules—which set the terms for debate and amendments—is extremely rare. Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez are both members of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, a dwindling caucus of centrist Democrats. Golden is not seeking reelection in November, which may have given him political cover to break ranks.
The five Republicans who voted against the rule—Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas, and Pete Sessions of Texas—opposed provisions in a government funding bill that had passed earlier that day. The funding measure, which extended government operations through December 11, included a delay on a ban on intoxicating hemp products. The conservatives felt blindsided by Senate amendments to the spending bill and used the rule vote to register their protest, though none launched a coordinated push to kill the measure.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an interview, expressed astonishment at the breach. “I, as speaker, never—we didn’t even consider that anybody would do that,” she said. “We never had that problem, so I’m disappointed that they did that.” Her remark underscores how far outside normal practice the vote fell, even by the standards of a highly polarized Congress.
Sources
- Politico — Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez’s votes on the procedural rule, the 210-208 passage, the bills advanced, Golden’s lobstering-bill justification, Gluesenkamp Perez’s statement, and Jeffries, Clark, and Aguilar’s joint response threatening discipline
- The Hill — Rule vote details, the 210-208 tally, the five Republican defectors, Clark’s “rules of being on a team” quote, Roy and Higgins’s explanations for their opposition, and Speaker Johnson’s response
- CBS News — Details on the bills advanced, including H.Res.1490 (condemning socialism) and H.R. 4795 (targeting colleges that boycott Israel), and the vote breakdown
- Bangor Daily News — Golden’s statement defending his vote and his representation of Maine constituents
- New Republic — Characterization of the defection as bridging a gap left by Republican defectors and the procedural nature of the rare crossing
- Fox News — Jeffries and top Democrats’ reaction and the context of the rule vote as nearly unprecedented
