A vote to condemn the “horrors of socialism” passed on a mostly party-line vote Friday, with 98 Democrats voting against it and 199 Republicans voting for it.
The bill passed 285-98. No Republicans voted against the bill, although 20 Republicans did not vote.
On the Democrat side, it was far from unanimous, with 86 members voting in favor, and 98 against. Two Democrats voted “present” and 27 did not vote.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., reads “socialism has repeatedly led to famine and mass murders, and the killing of over 100,000,000 people worldwide,” and recognizes “many of the greatest crimes in history were committed by socialist ideologues.”
Salazar is of a Cuban-American background and represents a Miami area district.
The resolution culminates in the commitment “that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.”
“Socialism has never produced freedom or prosperity, only suffering and authoritarian control. Those of us in South Florida understand this better than most,” Salazar said of the resolution in a post on X. “With this failed ideology gaining ground in the United States and throughout the hemisphere, I’m proud to lead this resolution and call out its dangers without hesitation.”
The same resolution passed the House comfortably in 2023 by a 328-86 vote, with Democrats split roughly evenly on the resolution. It was not considered in the Senate.
Ahead of the vote, Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., and House rules committee ranking member Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., had a dispute over the meaning of the resolution.
McGovern said the bill “doesn’t have a definition of socialism,” and questioned Hill on whether Medicare could be considered socialist.
“Yes, some people could consider it a too much state control, that’s right,” Hill responded.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the Senate version of the resolution.
“Time and time again, socialism has led to the same, inevitable outcomes: misery, poverty, and oppression,” Scott said in a statement this September.
“It’s despicable to see far-left radicals villainizing capitalism – a system that has helped billions of American achieve their dreams – and try to tear down our country and rebuild it in their woke, radical image through socialist policies.”
This is a breaking news story and it may be updated.
