Democrats scramble to punish their own for siding with Republicans on minor vote

Democrat leaders nearly lost their minds after two of their own defected to save a GOP-procedural vote, which paved the way for a House vote denouncing socialism, on Tuesday.

Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) sided with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after five Republicans jumped ship, giving Johnson the 210-208 win needed to advance a slate of GOP bills.

‘We didn’t even consider that anyone would do that.’

The aisle-crossing blindsided Democratic leadership, who quickly promised to discipline their rogue colleagues. But it turns out Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden had their reasons.

Golden’s Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act bill advanced as a result of his and Gluesenkamp Perez’s vote on the “rule.” Rules are procedural resolutions that move debate forward on groups of bills, determined by the House majority.

Golden’s bill kicks burdensome environmental regulations down the road, extending a pause on crabbing restrictions for Maine fishermen until 2035.

“The bill is a big win not only for fishermen in Maine, but for bipartisanship in Congress,” Golden said in a statement after his bill passed in the House. “While the threat of unnecessary, industry-killing regulations is a matter of survival for lobster harvesters in Maine, the issues at play affect fishermen across the Northeast. Building bridges across party lines is essential for a functional congress, but unfortunately, it’s a skill that has been lost for far too many members.”

“What the DC bubble doesn’t get is that working waterfronts require working people,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in an X post Tuesday, suggesting she crossed the aisle to support Golden’s bill. “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 — whether we’re talking about lobsters or sea lions.”

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The second-term congresswoman, who narrowly defeated Republican Joe Kent twice, has a conservative track record on environmental issues. Gluesenkamp Perez has repeatedly called for lethal removal of Columbia River sea lions, calling them “Corolla-size vermin” and introducing the Protecting Columbia River Salmon Act to expand sea lion culls.

“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,” Golden told reporters after the vote.

Golden, whose district was carried by President Donald Trump in 2020 and 2024, doesn’t have much to fear from Democratic leadership. He’s retiring from the House after his term ends in January.

The defection is a test for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who received thinly veiled criticism from longtime former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after the mini mutiny.

“I, as speaker, never — we didn’t even consider that anybody would do that,” Pelosi told reporters on Tuesday. “We never had that problem, so I’m disappointed that they did that.”

Jeffries hasn’t announced specific disciplinary actions, but he could remove both lawmakers from prized committee assignments.

“The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,” Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement issued Tuesday night. “It is an action that necessitates a serious response, and we have asked the Committee on Caucus Rules to take this up in short order.”

Gluesenkamp Perez is co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a historically conservative wing of the Democratic Party. Golden is a member.

Gluesenkamp Perez, Golden, Jeffries, Clark, and Aguilar did not respond to requests for comment.

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