House Democrats face fallout from shock defections

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Today's Top Stories - September 2, 2026

Today's Top Stories - September 2, 2026

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Et tu, Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez?

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) shocked Democratic House leadership on Tuesday when they chose to join Republicans in advancing a GOP-backed rule.

“The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), along with Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic Caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), said in a joint statement.

The legislation included a messaging bill condemning socialism, a message integral to the Republican’s midterm strategy.

Some Democrats want heads to roll: The Democratic leaders said the defections necessitate a “serious response” and said they asked the Committee on Caucus Rules to take this up in short order.”

It’s unclear what potential punishment would be, but some Democrats are reportedly pushing for Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez to lose committee assignments.

“We have to draw a bright line here and kick some a– or this will be the new norm,” “I ‘effing love it,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios.

This is not normal: Helen Huiskes and Mike Lillis: “Traditionally, the majority party votes in favor of rules, which tee up debate and final votes on bills, while the minority party votes against them, regardless of how lawmakers plan to vote on the underlying legislation.” 

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) summed it up succinctly: “We never had that problem,” she told reporters.  

“No, no, no,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D) said after the vote. “Who are we, the Republicans?” 

Golden response: Golden, who’s leaving Congress, said the GOP-backed rule included a bill, the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act, he proposed to give lobstermen economic protections from the impact of conservation efforts for the North Atlantic right whale. 

“When I first got into Congress, lobstermen were terrified at the scale of these proposed new regulations [to protect whales],” Golden said on the Substack “Out of State.” “It was unworkable to the point where there would be hard discussions in communities about which families get to keep fishing and which had to give it up.” 

Gluesenkamp Perez told reporters that she “slept like a baby last night,” and is not worried about Democratic discipline following the vote. 

“If that’s what they feel they need to do, it’s not going to change how I represent [my district],” she continued. 

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