Two Democrats face party discipline after GOP procedural vote

Two Democratic congresswomen, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, are facing potential disciplinary action from their party's leadership after they unexpectedly voted with Republicans on a key procedural measure on September 2, 2026. The vote allowed a package of GOP-led bills to advance, including a resolution condemning socialism and a bill to delay fishing regulations aimed at protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales. The procedural rule passed 210 to 208, with Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez being the only Democrats to support it. The move was highly unusual, as such procedural votes typically fall strictly along party lines. In a joint statement, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar called the vote a "significant breach of trust" that "necessitates a serious response." They referred the matter to the Committee on Caucus Rules, which convened on Wednesday but did not immediately announce specific next steps. Jeffries told reporters he expects action "sooner rather than later.