Key facts
- Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) voted with Republicans on a procedural rule.
- The procedural vote passed 210-208, narrowly advancing the House GOP agenda.
- Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were not given advance notice of the vote.
- Five Republicans voted against the rule, protesting the exclusion of certain provisions from a government funding bill.
- The rule allows for consideration of bills including one condemning socialism and the SAVE America Act.
Two Democratic lawmakers, Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, joined Republicans to vote for a procedural rule, narrowly advancing the House GOP's agenda for the week. The vote, which passed 210-208, surprised Democratic leaders who were not given advance notice of their party members' intentions.
This bipartisan support for a procedural measure, typically a party-line vote, effectively saved Speaker Mike Johnson from navigating intra-party divisions. Five Republicans also voted against the rule, protesting the exclusion of certain policy riders from a government funding bill that later passed. The rule allows for consideration of several GOP-backed bills, including one condemning socialism and the SAVE America Act, as well as legislation concerning school financial aid and mining project permitting.
Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez stated on social media that her vote was to ensure working people had a voice in discussions, particularly regarding the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the Democrats' decision, calling it disappointing and contrary to how such votes were handled under her speakership.