Jesse Scheckner
A U.S. House resolution describing and condemning the “horrors of socialism” is on its way to the Senate.
The bill, introduced by Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar and co-sponsored by 107 other House members, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, cleared the chamber floor Thursday by a 328-86 vote.
Every “nay” vote came from Democrats. Another 14 Democrats refused to take a side and voted “present.” Six Representatives, three from each party, did not cast votes.
The bill, a clone of legislation Salazar filed in July 2021, calls for no tangible action. After nearly two pages detailing the awful impacts of socialist governments across history, the measure calls on Congress to denounce socialism “in all its forms” and oppose the use of “socialist policies” in America.
“Every socialist is a dictator in disguise,” said Salazar, a former journalist born in Miami to Cuban exiles, while arguing for the resolution Wednesday.
“Socialists are in the business of power, and it only takes one generation to believe their false promises and lose our freedom. It is a lie that socialism will solve your problems, economic or social. Democratic socialism is socialism. Socialism is always socialism. We cannot let this evil ideology take hold in this country.”
Her concerns aren’t baseless. Roughly 36% of U.S. adults still view socialism positively, according to the Pew Research Center. Conversely, 57% view capitalism favorably, though favorable opinions of both have declined modestly since 2019.
That ratio appears to be flipping among younger Americans. A survey Axios and Momentive conducted in 2021 found just 49% of voters 18-34 perceived capitalism positively compared to 51% who preferred socialism.
“Recent history has shown that while promising greater equality and ‘free’ services, socialism and communism quickly degenerates into shared misery for all but an elite few,” U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart said in a statement following the House passage of the bill. “We must continue to highlight the evils that have resulted from these failed economic and political systems so that future generations do not fall victim to the false promises that fooled so many.”
The vote Thursday on Salazar’s bill — to which no Democrat signed on as co-sponsor — was framed as something of a test of House Democrats’ stance on socialism, including self-declared Democratic Socialists Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Both voted against the measure, as did Maxwell Frost of Orlando, the son of a Cuban exile who last year became the first Gen Z person elected to Congress.
Frost said Salazar’s bill was nothing more than an attempt to frighten voters into allowing GOP lawmakers to raid the funding of beneficial programs like Social Security, Obamacare, Medicaid and SNAP upon which millions depend.
“The American people know that the biggest threat to our modern democratic society and free market economy is not some socialist boogeyman, it’s Republican leaders in this chamber — people who want to call every federally funded program that Americans depend on socialism, just to scare people and position themselves to cut and gut the benefits that people count on,” he said.
“They even call free public school education socialism to scare people. This vote is a sham. We’ve heard about Cuba a ton. My mother came here from Cuba in the late 1960s with my grandmother and my aunt, and I won’t let their story be used to gut the benefits that our people have earned and deserve.”
The measure is the first piece of legislation Salazar has introduced as the primary sponsor since taking office in January 2021 to make it out of the House.
9 comments
Jay Smif
February 2, 2023 at 4:14 pm
But pudgy fascist Ron DeSantis refusing to return all those socialist federal dollars is just fine with these same GQP lunatics, right
Jack Neggers
February 4, 2023 at 11:23 am
Well said, most of these anti-socialists have no problem screaming for Federal dollars when it is their house submerged in flood waters, then socialism is something to adhere to. How about the line in the Constitution about promoting the ‘general welfare’ was that a socialist horror statement?
Mac Wiseman
February 2, 2023 at 4:59 pm
Oh wow a RINO feel good do nothing bill.
DO BETTER REPUBLICANS
Tjb
February 2, 2023 at 5:57 pm
It is a bill that sells unfounded fear. What is next, getting rid of socialism programs such as Social Security, Medicare, government subsidies to farms, interstate highways, public schools, fire departments and the many programs that we have in our everyday lives.
Paul Passarelli
February 2, 2023 at 8:42 pm
Hmmm. “… some socialist boogeyman …” hmmm? Where have I heard those words used on this platform?
Elliott Offen
February 2, 2023 at 9:06 pm
More neo nazi political theatre. Modern socialism is different than old school authoritarian socialism and Latin American socialism as we know it. The Nordic countries practice a more modern version of socialism which is successful, and many other democratic countries have functioning healthcare for all. In these other democracies, more people tend to be happier and healthier. So socialism didn’t just lead to poor outcomes. The authoritarian part is why. The GOP are a bunch of idiots. They lie by omission, fear monger, and spread misleading and false information.
Paul Passarelli
February 3, 2023 at 2:27 am
You three (4?) Horseman of the apocalypse just keep repeating the same old sad whining complaints.
1) Jay Smif, your hands are not clean, therefore your testimony is worthless.
2) Tjb, likes to stir the pot and tru to create FUD (Fear Uncertainty & Doubt)
3) Elliott Offen, the least aware, enlightened, but the most talkative, wants people to ignore the vast differences in demographics between the Nordic Countries (90% White) and the USA much less so.
4?) Mac Wiseman. I don’t know you, I don’t know your writing style yet. I don’t know if you are a different type of troll or just another George Soros Fake Alias to go along with the other three? Maybe you are neither, and are simply disappointed that the Congress passed a solid resolution, but it doesn’t include ‘Chilean Helicopter Rides’?
I have stopped refuting you three, and you all know why. But I never know when there are new readers that could benefit from the heads up of calling you out for obvious insincerity, and or outright lies.
Ciao,
Klauwd Tuacker
February 5, 2023 at 8:38 am
Your condemnation of other commenters had me curious, so I did a good ol fashion “site:floridapolitics.com Paul Passarelli” google search, found a bunch of articles you commented on and beyond your abysmal understanding of libel, there are a few things new readers could benefit from calling you, Paul, out for…
…finding any excuse to ignore/shift the burden of proof, going so far as to demanding those who accurately call out your BS to source their contradiction of you rather than you support your assertions.
…ignoring the substance of a post, while accusing any shared opinions as being the same person behind multiple accounts. ( Has “every accusation is a confession,” type energy as well )
…bust out with some righteous indignation in the form of tone-dead, aloof quotes. (as well as the extra lame self-quotes)
Your need to warn about other people says SOOO much about you, as if you had any valid arguments, there is nothing a troll of any skill could do to thwart you. Worry no more as you will delighted to know that no-one, not even you, are a complete waste: You can always serve as a bad example. (and that you do)
Phil Socialismo es Miseria
February 4, 2023 at 9:45 pm
I am not going to bad mouth the congress woman from Florida and proud she had the courage to pass the resolution in congress.
Yeah true about the Nordic countries but their DNA is market-oriented with massive mother of a welfare state. Look at California and New York with people leaving those deep-blue socialist oriented states in droves why? Democratic managed cities and states have worse business climate and schools. Seems like the socialists here want to separate themselves from their brethren in Cuba, North Korea, China, of course Venezuela where 5 million have fled toward the United States. Gracias a dios por la congresista denunciado socialismo.
Comments are closed.