Two Democrats Just Bailed Out Mike Johnson
Two House Democrats, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden, voted for a procedural rule supported by Speaker Mike Johnson, breaking with their party's typical opposition. This move allowed the House to proceed with legislative business, including a vote on a Maine-specific bill and a resolution condemning socialism.
Why it matters
Bipartisan procedural votes are rare in the current polarized political climate and can signal shifts in legislative strategy or individual member priorities.
Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost . Two House Democrats with a history of bucking their party just did a huge favor for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine.) on Tuesday voted for a procedural resolution known on Capitol Hill as a "rule" setting up a series of votes for later in the day.
It's rare for members of the minority party to support the majority party's rule votes, and rare for anyone in the majority party to vote no. But in recent months, right-wing Republicans have withheld support from rules in order to demand concessions from Johnson. When a rule vote fails, the House essentially stops functioning in its normal way, and Johnson has even sent lawmakers home.
Politics: House Censures GOP Congressman, Death Penalty On Table In Charlie Kirk Case: Live Updates
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in