House Republican Introduces Resolution Condemning Socialism

<p>Representative Jeff Crank, a Republican from Colorado, introduced a resolution on Thursday condemning socialism in all its forms. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Crank stated that he aims to compel moderate House Democrats to publicly oppose the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).</p><p>"I keep hearing people like Hakeem Jeffries and others in Congress saying that they oppose the DSA. Let's see if they're willing to vote for a resolution that would oppose them," Crank said.</p><p>The resolution references the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as indicative of the DSA's increasing political influence.</p><p>A Brookings Institution analysis, dated August 12, found that 123 candidates endorsed or recommended by DSA chapters had won primaries this election cycle, primarily for local or state offices.</p><p>Crank characterized the DSA movement as "anti-American" and "anti-Constitution," claiming that its members often oppose free speech, a fundamental right protected by the U.S. Constitution.</p><p>He also accused DSA members of harboring anti-Semitic views in their advocacy against Israel, particularly in light of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel.</p><p>"I would almost say the DSA in some ways is the marriage between socialism, the traditional socialism of Bernie Sanders, and the anti-Semitism of this sort of radical Arab movement," Crank stated. He added, "If that's a marriage, their child is violence, right? It's violence and intimidation. It's showing up at town hall meetings and trying to shout elected officials down, which, by the way, is completely anti-democratic."</p><p>One instance of DSA members disrupting an elected official occurred in February when the San Francisco DSA protested at a news conference held by Mayor Daniel Lurie, who is Jewish. During the protest, demonstrators chanted "Tax the rich," and one individual shouted "tax the Jews," although DSA and other protesters claimed she was not affiliated with their group.</p><p>Crank criticized several proposals in the DSA's national program, arguing that they threaten "free and fair elections." His resolution calls for the passage of the SAVE Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, while also addressing the DSA's support for extending voting rights to noncitizens.</p><p>The DSA's program advocates for voting rights for all permanent U.S. residents, as well as for incarcerated individuals and those with criminal convictions.</p><p>Crank also denounced the DSA's explicit opposition to capitalism, asserting that socialism has consistently failed both in the U.S. and internationally.</p><p>"I find it ironic that many of the people who are pushing socialism or who are involved in the DSA movement are individuals who came here from a different country and now want to impose the socialism that they left, which did not work," Crank remarked.</p><p>He labeled Mamdani as "the first verified failure of socialism," referencing his pied-à-terre tax.</p><p>"You're seeing socialism at its worst in places like New York with Mamdani who's saying, 'Well, I am just going to tax anybody who has a big house here,'" Crank said. "Well, people can choose to not have a house in New York. So they leave. It doesn't work."</p><p>Crank also mentioned Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old DSA member who won her Colorado primary in July after defeating Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette.</p><p>"[Kiros] said America deserved 9/11. So tell me why that's different? When you have a bunch of terrorists on September 11th killing Americans because of ideology, how is that different than what Mao did? It isn't. This is the insidiousness of this movement," Crank said.</p><p>Crank's resolution also draws parallels between contemporary Democratic socialists and historical communist regimes under leaders such as Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin, asserting that socialism has resulted in famine, mass killings, and over 100 million deaths globally.</p><p>Kiros' comments regarding 9/11 originated from an interview on June 22, where she discussed the consequences of American intervention in the Middle East.</p><p>Crank's resolution is set to be reviewed by the House Rules Committee on Monday, with a vote anticipated next week, according to his statements to Fox News Digital.</p>