Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana, R), and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) hold a press conference at the Capitol Visitor Center after the House Republican Conference on September 1, 2026.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
The House is expected to vote on a messaging resolution condemning socialism as early as Tuesday, an election-year maneuver aimed at forcing Democrats to vote unfavorably as far-left candidates win Democratic primaries across the country.
While some Democrats have voiced their condemnation of socialism, Republicans have also included in their resolutions to pass a highly controversial voter ID bill known as the SAVE America Act. The move is likely to push back even moderate Democrats who want to vote to denounce socialism.
A number of Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates have defeated moderate Democrats in this term’s primaries, and Republicans are looking to capitalize on the Democratic Party’s shift to the left as its own brand falters in the polls.
“We’re going to draw a new contrast this week with a vote on the House floor not only to condemn socialism, but also to condemn the idea of people who are not American citizens voting in elections,” House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) said at a news conference Tuesday. “All of that will be on the ballot this November.”
Democrats, meanwhile, have denounced the bill as an election-year stunt aimed at generating buzz. The resolution itself is non-binding and has no legal force.
California Rep. Pete Aguilar, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said Tuesday that “part of what Republicans are advocating for is the SAVE Act, which is why Democrats are introducing a replacement resolution.” “What Republicans are trying to do here is simply add another talking point.”
The bill nearly died in a preliminary rules vote early Tuesday after pushback from some conservative Republicans. However, the rule was saved when Democratic Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Grusenkamp Perez of Washington voted to advance it. The regulations also included measures favorable to the lobster fishery.
