House Speaker Mike Johnson secured a narrow 210-208 procedural victory on September 1 when two Democrats unexpectedly voted with Republicans to advance a slate of GOP bills, a defection that stunned both party leaderships and underscored the razor-thin Republican majority’s vulnerability to internal fracture.
Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington crossed party lines to support the rule vote, providing the deciding margin after five Republicans broke ranks over frustrations with how party leaders had handled an earlier vote on government spending. The rule set up debate on four GOP-backed measures, including a resolution condemning socialism and a bill targeting colleges that boycott Israel.
Golden told reporters he backed the measure because it contained a bill he cosponsored that delays implementation of fishing regulations meant to protect the North Atlantic right whale population—a priority for lobstermen in his 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,” he said, according to Politico.
Gluesenkamp Perez issued a statement defending her vote, saying that “working waterfronts require working people” and that “you don’t get effective environmentalism without the input of people who make their livelihoods and heritage on the water.” Both lawmakers were among ten Democrats who later voted to pass Golden’s lobstering bill on a 219-196 vote, according to Politico.
The Democratic leadership’s response was swift and sharp. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement accusing the two of choosing to “blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus” and bailing out Republicans in “a significant breach of trust.” They announced that an internal rules committee would evaluate the matter. Clark told reporters the vote violated a core Democratic principle: “It’s one of the rules of being on a team, is that we vote against the rule,” according to The Hill.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led the chamber for nearly two decades, expressed astonishment at the breach of tradition. “I, as speaker, never — we didn’t even consider that anybody would do that,” she told Politico. “We never had that problem, so I’m disappointed that they did that.”
Both Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez are members of the moderate Blue Dog Democrats, a coalition of centrist lawmakers. Golden, who has served eight years in the House, is not seeking reelection in November. Gluesenkamp Perez is in a competitive reelection race in Washington’s 3rd District against Republican John Braun, according to Ballotpedia.
The GOP holdouts who voted against the rule—Representatives Andy Harris of Maryland, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas, and Pete Sessions of Texas—were protesting provisions in a stopgap spending bill that had passed earlier in the day. That bill, which funded the government through December 11, passed on a 370-48 vote and had White House backing. The conservative rebels opposed the inclusion of a delay on a ban on sales of intoxicating hemp products and objected to how Republican leaders had structured the floor vote, according to Politico.
Had the procedural vote failed, Speaker Johnson would have faced immediate pressure to adjourn the House early and send members home ahead of the GOP midterm convention in Dallas the following week. With the government now funded through the midterms and no other urgent deadlines, Republican leaders could still trim September’s remaining session weeks to allow members to campaign in their districts.
Johnson declined to directly address the Democratic assistance after the vote, telling reporters only that “Republicans are here to work. We have a lot more left to do,” according to The Hill.
Sources
- Politico — Golden’s rationale for the vote, Gluesenkamp Perez’s statement, Democratic leadership’s response, Pelosi’s reaction, and details on the GOP holdouts’ objections
- The Hill — The 210-208 vote count, the rule’s passage, Democratic Whip Clark’s response, and Speaker Johnson’s statement
- Ballotpedia — Gluesenkamp Perez’s reelection race and opponent information
