A vote on language condemning the "horrors of socialism" split House Democrats on Thursday, which one Republican said reveals a soft spot some Democrats have for a political philosophy that has resulted in impoverishment and death for hundreds of millions of people.
Republicans called up the resolution as a way to remind the public that socialist policies – which they fear have been creeping into American life after two years of Democrat control in Washington – go against the values on which America was founded. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Thursday that socialism is "one of the most destructive ideologies in world history."
As expected, the resolution split Democrats, as some have openly described themselves as adherents of "democratic socialism." As a group, Democrats narrowly voted in favor of the resolution by a 109-86 tally, even though every Democrat who debated the bill spoke against the resolution.
In another sign of how the bill split the party, 14 Democrats voted "present." The resolution passed 328-86 thanks to unanimous Republican support.
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Democrats justified their vote by saying while they oppose socialism, the decision to call up the measure is a warning shot that Republicans are looking to cut Social Security, Medicare and other social welfare programs, an assertion Republicans have rejected for weeks.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., went further by accusing Republicans of calling up a resolution that is an indictment of major elements of the federal government that helped millions of people during the pandemic.
"Americans know better than the fearmongering we see here today," Waters said. "They know, for example, that when the pandemic hit and people were dying all across this country, it was the federal government that stepped in to provide trillions of dollars of support to small businesses, workers, ranchers, students, seniors, and would you believe it, even Republican members of Congress."
"Historically, Republicans have tried to label as socialist any Democratic actions that improve the lives of Americans," added Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y. "This is what Republicans call socialism. From climate action and public education to affordable care and Social Security, Republicans classify popular government programs to help working families as socialism."
Republicans said Democrats were over-complicating the issue.
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"Despite my Democratic colleagues’ claims, there’s nothing in this resolution about entitlement programs or banning social services or anything of the like," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.
After Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., pointed out several historical political leaders who were socialists and argued that not all forms of socialism deserve condemnation, McHenry thanked him for acknowledging that Democrats so have a soft spot for this system of government.
"If this resolution would just simply draw out my Democrat colleagues to just say, yes, they are in favor of socialism, maybe this is a worthwhile endeavor," McHenry said.
Socialism is broadly understood to be an economic and political theory that calls for putting the means of production into the hands of a public collective, and "democratic socialism" is seen as a philosophy that calls for a heavier government hand that might approach the governing styles of some European nations.
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The resolution approved by the House says history shows that any move toward socialism "necessitates a concentration of power that has time and time again collapsed into Communist regimes, totalitarian rule, and brutal dictatorships."
It says socialist policies have led to "famine and mass murders, and the killing of over 100,000,000 people worldwide," along with some of the "greatest crimes in history" committed by Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot and others.
"[B]etween 15,000,000 and 55,000,000 people starved to death in the wake of famine and devastation caused by the Great Leap Forward in China," the resolution notes. "[T]he socialist experiment in Cambodia led to the killing fields in which over a million people were gruesomely murdered."
