The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution condemning socialism Friday morning, with several Democrats crossing the aisle to rebuke “socialist policies” in the U.S. following Zohran Mamdani\’s recent election as the mayor-elect of New York City.
Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure in a 285-98 vote. Two members, Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Pa., and Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., voted present.
Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — who endorsed Mamdani just days before the mayoral election — also voted in favor of the measure.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., highlights a list of the economic system\’s failures and serves as a rebuke of political forces inching toward more socialist platforms. Among other items, it asserts that socialism has led to famine and mass murder under the Cuban Castro regime, the Chinese rule of Mao Zedong, the ongoing Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and others.
“Resolved by the House of Representatives that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States,” the text reads.
While the resolution itself isn’t binding, the congressional rebuke comes as socialism — and its political momentum — have taken up a larger share of the national spotlight in recent months.
Progressive candidates like Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and others have continued to push for an increased government role in public services like healthcare and education. That’s dovetailed with new champions of progressive policies like Mamdani, a self-described socialist.
The resolution also comes as Mamdani is set to meet with President Donald Trump on Friday.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he believes socialism is incompatible with the American ideal of freedom. He applauded the resolution on Friday morning.
“It always leads to a destruction of liberties for people,” Donalds said of socialism.
DEMOCRATS DID START THE FIRE OF SOCIALISM. NOW, THEY ARE AFRAID IT WILL BURN THEM
New York City Democratic Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani celebrates as he takes the stage at his election night watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York City on Nov. 4, 2025. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
He noted that socialism requires a top-down structure of authority to manage the distribution of resources. That, he believes, is a trait shared by other forms of oppressive government.
“We have a responsibility to defend the American core of capitalism, free markets and liberty [against] socialism, democratic socialism, communism, authoritarianism, fascism,” Donalds said.
While increasingly progressive wings of the Democratic Party have enjoyed momentum in recent months at a time when the party has struggled to unite behind a cohesive brand, not all Democrat lawmakers view socialism’s emergence as something the party should embrace.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., one of the members who voted for the disapproval resolution on Friday, has opposed overtly socialist platforms, urging his Democrat colleagues to return to a more centrist path.
REPUBLICANS PUSH TO MAKE MAMDANI THE NEW FACE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., speaks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 3, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)”I talk about being a new kind of old-fashioned Democrat and giving policy prescriptions about what we need to do to address people’s concerns about the economy and affordability and the cost of living and wages,” Suozzi wrote on X earlier this month. “The answer is not the populism of Donald Trump or Zohran Mamdani — it’s about giving specific policy prescriptions.”
Abbott hailed the court’s decision to take up the matter, calling it a step toward holding what he described as “derelict Democrats” responsible. Initially, Abbott and Paxton sparred over which office held the authority to bring such lawsuits. But the attorney general has since aligned himself with the governor, declaring that both are working in tandem to ensure accountability.
The Democrats’ exodus began on August 3, a direct attempt to derail the redistricting plan, which had drawn vocal support from former President Donald Trump. The proposed map is widely viewed as a calculated effort to cement Republican control by expanding their narrow U.S. House majority ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. For Democrats, breaking quorum was the only procedural weapon available to delay or block the measure.
Wu’s attorneys contend that his actions were lawful and in line with the will of his constituents. They argue that leaving the state does not amount to resignation and cannot legally be treated as grounds for removal, which under Texas law requires a two-thirds vote of the House itself.
The case places the Texas Supreme Court, composed entirely of Republicans, under intense political scrutiny. Most of the sitting justices were appointed by Abbott, including two who previously served as his legal advisers—a fact likely to amplify questions about impartiality as the court considers whether Democrats can be punished for their walkout.