House Democratic leaders are reviewing whether to discipline two members of their own caucus after Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington joined Republicans on Sept. 1 to advance a procedural rule that Democratic leadership had opposed.
The rule, which passed 210-208 with five Republicans voting no, cleared the way for the House to consider Golden’s Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act along with a separate resolution condemning socialism. Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez’s votes were decisive in the outcome.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders characterized the pair’s move as a “significant breach of trust” that requires a “serious response,” and referred the matter to the Committee on Caucus Rules for review.
Golden’s bill is aimed at easing regulatory burdens on Maine’s lobster industry, which the state estimates is worth roughly half a billion dollars and supports thousands of jobs in coastal communities. Gluesenkamp Perez represents a southwest Washington district where fishing and natural-resource industries are also economically significant.
Defending the vote, Golden said: “Could you imagine going home to your constituents and being like, ‘I was trying to help you, but I had to vote no’?”
The Socialism Resolution
The same procedural rule allowed a vote on a resolution condemning socialism. It passed, but 192 Democrats voted against it while only eight joined Republicans in support. Democrats who opposed it said the measure also contained Republican-backed election-security provisions they objected to. Four Democrats introduced a separate amendment condemning socialism without those provisions, but it did not receive a vote.
Public Opinion Context
The dispute comes amid polling that shows a broad swath of Americans identifying as working class. A Pew Research Center analysis found 60% of adults say “working class” describes them extremely or very well, up from 54% in 2024 — including half of college graduates, half of upper-income Americans, and 77% of blue-collar workers.
On the cost of living, which polling identifies as a leading midterm issue, a Reuters/Ipsos survey found voters favor Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 36% to 28%, though 37% said they preferred neither party or were unsure.
The Committee on Caucus Rules has not announced a timeline for its review of Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez’s conduct.
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