<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/democrats/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Democratic</a> frustrations toward Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/jared-golden/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jared Golden</a> (D-ME) persisted on Wednesday after both voted with Republicans to advance a resolution condemning <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/socialism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">socialism</a> and the Democratic Socialists of America.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, turned away from Gluesenkamp Perez during her testimony regarding proposed changes to congressional sexual harassment policy, should Democrats regain the majority.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I really wasn’t interested and paying attention,” McGovern stated in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner</em>. “To be honest with you, I didn’t even get the courtesy of even a heads up that she was going to vote [for] the rule.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden were the only Democrats to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4708607/jeffries-blindsided-two-house-democrats-join-gop-force-vote-denouncing-socialism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">support</a> bringing to the House floor a package of bills that included a GOP-led resolution denouncing socialism and the DSA. This marked a rare instance of Democratic members diverging from party leadership on a procedural measure, which are typically viewed as tests of party unity.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The defections occurred amid ongoing tensions as GOP hard-liners prepared to disrupt the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/section/news/house/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">House</a> over an unrelated dispute with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) regarding government funding.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The defections caused unrest within the Democratic Caucus, with House Minority Leader <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/hakeem-jeffries/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY) expressing that he felt “blindsided” by the decision. As of Wednesday afternoon, Democratic leadership had not yet taken disciplinary action against the two centrist members, although discussions about potentially stripping them of their committee assignments were underway.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">McGovern remarked that the actions of Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden distracted from the Democrats’ midterm election messaging. “Instead of speaking about <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/affordability/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">affordability</a> this week, we had to speak about socialism because the rule brought up all these guttural bills, so yeah, I’m a little pissed,” he said.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">He emphasized that if Democrats had remained united, they “could have changed the agenda this week” in the House.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Massachusetts Democrat underscored the importance of party unity, particularly while in the minority and lacking the power to advance legislation. “Ninety percent of the amendments that my fellow Democrats offer are blocked, and all the bills that were brought up are all closed. I mean, just that alone should give members pause and say, ‘You know, I’m not going to vote for this.’ Democrats get screwed by the Republicans all the time in the [rules committee],” McGovern stated.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/4710187/key-jeffries-ally-democrats-focus-elections-golden-glusenkamp-votes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TOP JEFFRIES ALLY TELLS DEMOCRATS TO MOVE PAST DEFECTION DRAMA AND FOCUS ON NOVEMBER</a></strong></p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite his frustrations, McGovern did not propose a specific punishment for Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez. “I want people to have each other’s back in the Democratic Caucus,” he added.</p>