The nonbinding resolution, introduced by Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.), asked lawmakers to condemn and denounce “socialism in all its forms,” including the increasingly influential Democratic Socialists of America movement, and oppose the implementation of socialist policies in the US.
Page A9From§Eachthe early evening edition — 1 September 2026
House votes to condemn socialism as 192 Democrats refuse to disavow, eight join Republicans
The House's resolution condemning socialism lands with all the subtlety of a Fourth of July parade: 192 Democrats refuse to disavow, eight join Republicans, and the rest watch. It's the sort of vote that makes a headline but changes nothing for anyone buying groceries or paying rent. The condemnation is a performance — the real story is who gets to define the threat. Eight Democrats crossing the aisle is less a shift than a stage direction, a way to signal to big donors that the party can play along when needed. Meanwhile, most Democrats sit quietly, neither defending nor denouncing, leaving the audience to guess at what they actually stand for. The stakes, as ever, are the bills at the end of the month. The resolution is a distraction: the actual movement sits in the budgets, the votes, and the rules behind closed doors. When the show ends, the donors keep their seats, and the rest of us wait for the next act. The condemnation is the headline, but the ledger never changes.
“They want you to believe socialism is the real threat while most Democrats sit on their hands and eight cross the aisle. The whole vote is theater, but the stage is built with your rent and health care. The show is for donors, not for people who need help.”
“Socialism is dangerous, and this vote proves bipartisan opposition — except, well, a few Democrats didn't quite agree, but that's not important. The main thing is unity, or, really, the appearance of unity. Did I say appearance? Because the numbers don't matter, the message does. That's what I meant.”
The receipts
GOP leaders scheduled the vote after Democratic primary voters embraced a number of democratic socialist candidates.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.