House resolution condemning socialism reflects ‘something much bigger’: Byron York
Progressive policy ambitions meet practical realities as Americans weigh costs and consequences.
A House resolution condemning socialism sounds almost quaint, like something Congress would pass without anyone blinking. Except in 2024 it isn't quaint at all, because getting Democrats on record for or against socialism has turned into an actual dividing line, not a rhetorical exercise. Byron York's point is the useful one here: this is standard Capitol Hill maneuvering, the kind of bill members write specifically to make colleagues squirm.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York highlighted Rep. Jeff Crank’s (R-CO) House resolution condemning socialism as another way to force Democrats to show where they stand on socialism. “This is one of the things that’s done pretty commonly on Capitol Hill,” York said on Fox News’s America Reports. “You think of a bill, and […]
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
A House resolution condemning socialism sounds almost quaint, like something Congress would pass without anyone blinking. Except in 2024 it isn't quaint at all, because getting Democrats on record for or against socialism has turned into an actual dividing line, not a rhetorical exercise. Byron York's point is the useful one here: this is standard Capitol Hill maneuvering, the kind of bill members write specifically to make colleagues squirm. Jeff Crank didn't invent the tactic. What's notable is that it still works.
That's the real story. A resolution like this shouldn't be hard to vote for. Socialism, as an economic system, has a body count and a track record of empty shelves everywhere it's been tried seriously. Voting to condemn it should be a layup. If it isn't, if members of the other party hedge or dodge or vote no, that tells voters something true about where the modern Democratic coalition actually sits, whatever the leadership talking points say.
We'd also just note the timing isn't accidental. With democratic socialists holding real sway in primaries and city halls, forcing a floor vote isn't a stunt, it's oversight of a party that keeps pretending this fight isn't happening inside its own ranks. Republicans get accused of playing games with messaging bills constantly, and sometimes fairly. This one earns its keep by asking a question that deserves a plain answer.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.