BS BULLETIN:
- House Republicans advanced a resolution Monday condemning “socialism in all its forms,” setting up a floor vote designed in part to force Democrats to declare where they stand as socialist candidates gain ground inside the party.
- Democrats on the House Rules Committee unanimously opposed advancing the resolution, with Rep. Jim McGovern dismissing it as “nonsense” and complaining that Republicans should be dealing with grocery and gas prices instead.
- The hearing erupted when Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse tried to turn the socialism charge back on President Trump, leading to a shouting match over whether hypothetical government ownership of a grocery-store chain would qualify.
Nothing livens up the first day back at work quite like a congressional argument over socialism.
House Republicans returned from their August recess Monday and promptly advanced a resolution condemning “socialism in all its forms.”
Democrats were not amused.
The House Rules Committee moved H. Res. 1490 forward Monday evening, with no Democrats voting to advance it. The measure, sponsored by Republican Colorado Rep. Jeff Crank, is now headed toward a House floor vote.
And Republicans aren’t pretending there isn’t some politics involved here.
Crank has openly said he wants Democrats on the record as the Democratic Socialists of America racks up electoral victories around the country.
“I keep hearing people like Hakeem Jeffries and others in the Congress saying that they oppose the DSA,” Crank told Fox News before Monday’s hearing.
“Let’s see if they’re willing to vote for a resolution that would oppose them.”
The resolution specifically points to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s victory as evidence of socialism’s growing political influence.
According to a recent Brookings analysis cited by Fox, 123 candidates endorsed or recommended by national, state or local DSA organizations had won primaries this election cycle as of Aug. 12.
Democrats see the whole exercise somewhat differently.
Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern called the resolution “nonsense” during Monday’s Rules Committee hearing.
Then he offered his version of a Republican campaign commercial.
“So you’re concerned about rising gas, or are you concerned about grocery prices?” McGovern said.
“Don’t worry. Republicans in Congress are passing another non-binding resolution condemning socialism.”
Things got considerably hotter when Colorado Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse began questioning Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil about exactly what Republicans mean by socialism.
Neguse offered a hypothetical involving Trump and grocery stores.
Would it be socialism, he asked, if Trump tried to acquire a 20% government stake in Kroger?
Steil said he’d “want to see the details.”
Wrong answer.
“Oh, you’d want to see the details,” Neguse shot back as the two lawmakers began talking over each other.
“You said if the government owns grocery stores, that would be socialist. But if, of course, Donald Trump were to announce an equity stake in a grocery store, well, ‘I’d have to really see the details,’ because we all know the play.”
The hearing continued spiraling from there.
Neguse accused Republicans of entering “silly season” before the midterms and mocked the idea that the House was spending its time passing a nonbinding resolution about socialism.
But “silly” or not, Republicans clearly see a political opportunity.
The Associated Press reports that the anti-socialism resolution is part of the GOP’s opening messaging push heading into November, with Republicans looking to connect the broader Democratic Party to democratic socialist candidates who have been winning elections.
And that explains why this little nonbinding resolution suddenly matters.
It doesn’t outlaw socialism.
It doesn’t change the tax code.
It doesn’t abolish government-run grocery stores that don’t exist.
It does something far more useful in an election year:
It makes every member of Congress push a button.
Republicans can then spend the next two months telling voters exactly which one they pushed.
SEE MORE IN SOURCES BELOW:
DBS WIRE SOURCES
- Fox News — Tensions erupt in House hearing as GOP advances anti-socialism resolution while Dems rage: ‘Silly season’
- Associated Press — House lawmakers return to Washington with a stopgap funding bill atop the list of priorities
- Fox News — House Republican aims to put Democrats on the record over DSA with resolution condemning socialism
- House Committee on Rules — H. Res. 1490 — Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes
- Roll Call — Still on the House agenda? Tension with the Senate
