2 House Democrats Vote To Salvage Gop Agenda

A pair of House Democrats voted to rescue the Republican legislative agenda Tuesday as GOP leaders faced an internal revolt, an extremely rare crossing of party lines that pushed a key procedural vote through a closely divided chamber.

Democratic Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington voted with most Republicans to set up debate on a series of GOP-led bills, including a resolution condemning socialism that party leaders want to use to hammer Democrats on the campaign trail.

The two Democrats were decisive in the 210-208 vote, where five Republicans had broken ranks over frustrations with how party leaders had handled an earlier vote on government spending.

While House members routinely cross party lines on legislation, it is almost unheard for minority members to break ranks and vote for the "rules" the majority uses to set the floor agenda. Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez are both members of the moderate Blue Dog Democrats, and Golden is not seeking reelection in November.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the longtime former Democratic speaker, expressed astonishment in an interview.

“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.”

Golden told reporters Tuesday he backed the measure because it provided for passage of a bill he cosponsored benefiting lobstermen in his home state. The bill in question delays the implementation of fishing regulations meant to protect the North Atlantic right whale population.

"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. "So I think that's pretty straightforward, right? Like you came here to represent some people, you got to stand by them when it counts.”

Gluesenkamp Perez issued a statement Tuesday suggesting she also voted in support of Golden to advance the lobstering bill.

"What the DC bubble doesn’t get is that working waterfronts require working people," she said. "Nature is not a terrarium — and you don’t get effective environmentalism without the input of people who make their livelihoods and heritage on the water."

Said Golden, "Like a good colleague, she saw an opportunity to help out one of my top priorities, one of my constituents' top priorities, and that's how you do things around here."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters he "didn't get a heads up" from the two Democrats, and a spokesperson for Minority Whip Katherine Clark said she, too, was blindsided. Majority Whip Tom Emmer also suggested he was caught by surprise.

“I don't count Democratic votes,” he said.

Golden said he hasn't responded to whip questions during his eight years in the House as a policy: "I know who I work for, which would be the people that sent me here."

The GOP holdouts on the procedural vote were upset over a variety of issues linked to a stopgap spending bill that passed earlier in the day, including the inclusion of a delay on a ban on sales of intoxicating hemp products and the manner in which Republican leaders put the funding bill on the floor. That bill, which had White House backing, passed on a 370-48 vote.

Had the procedural vote failed, Speaker Mike Johnson would have faced immediate pressure to cut the House session short and send members home ahead of next week’s GOP midterm convention in Dallas. With the government now funded through the midterms and no other pressing deadlines to meet before November, GOP leaders could still scrap some or all of the remaining September session weeks to allow members to campaign in their districts.

Johnson did not address the Democratic assistance he received after the vote Tuesday.

“Many of you thought that would not happen today, but we passed a rule to continue business this week,” he told reporters. “Republicans are here to work. We have a lot more left to do.”