Let’s cut through the procedural bullshit.
Two House Democrats—Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Jared Golden of Maine—helped Speaker Mike Johnson advance a package of Republican legislation for the second time in three weeks.
The rule passed 214–211. Republicans Andy Harris of Maryland and Ralph Norman of South Carolina voted against it, leaving Johnson dependent on Democratic assistance. Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden supplied that assistance. Without their votes, the rule would have failed. That isn’t my interpretation. That’s the basic fucking math reflected in the Official House roll call.
Both Democrats say they did it to advance legislation imposing additional sanctions on Russia and countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. The bill had already passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, and Gluesenkamp Perez represents a district with a large Ukrainian community. Golden argued that the stakes for Ukraine were too high to let the legislation die because of a procedural dispute. Those are their stated reasons, and they deserve to be represented accurately. POLITICO reporting documents both explanations.
But neither explanation changes my position: siding with Republicans on anything under this administration should be a nonstarter for Democrats.