Rep. Jeff Crank leads resolution against Democratic Socialists of America

One day after U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank led a successful resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to condemn socialism, local leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America called the move a “waste of time” as the political ideology gains momentum in American politics.

The non-binding resolution, which passed the House on a 220-192 vote Tuesday, “condemns and denounces socialism in all its forms, including the Democratic Socialists of America, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.” It contends that socialist ideology historically leads to communist regimes.

It is Crank’s first successful piece of legislation after nearly two years in office. The Republican is running for reelection in the Colorado Springs-based 5th Congressional District.

Colorado’s four Republican representatives voted for the resolution, while its four congressional Democrats voted against it. The Democrats who voted for the resolution are all from competitive districts in other states.

How democratic socialist Melat Kiros stunned Colorado politics with congressional primary win

“Instead of fighting for working families, Rep. Crank continues to live up to his name and waste time on the House floor complaining about DSA and calling to strip voting rights from minorities,” Denver DSA co-chairs Susie Ramsey and Katie Blake said in a statement about the resolution. “With politicians like him bleeding Americans dry while cheering on endless war and imperialism, it’s no wonder that socialism is more popular than ever. It’s the only tool we have to defeat fascism at home and its impacts globally.”

In another statement, Colorado Springs DSA co-chair Justine Cortez also criticized the vote.

“(Crank) has wasted his time on a symbolic resolution condemning the Democratic Socialists of America because he knows that we, as a worker led and worker funded organization, actually fight for the people of El Paso County in a way he only half-heartedly pretends to,” she said.

The congressional resolution comes as DSA-backed candidates across the country find electoral success. That includes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and Melat Kiros, who defeated longtime incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. DSA announced on social media in July that its membership doubled over the last year with over 120,000 total members.

“The condemnation is yet another attempt from conservatives, and neoliberals alike, to preserve their status quo in the face of rising popularity for socialism, because both parties continue to serve the interest of capital and imperialism at the expense of the working class” Andrew Thompson, a Denver DSA member on the organization’s National Political Committee, told Newsline.

DSA is a political and activist organization, not a political party, that supports single-payer healthcare reform, labor union protections, decreases in police and prison funding and strong environmental regulations under the Green New Deal framework. President Donald Trump has repeatedly denounced DSA and its endorsed candidates as extremists and communists, and Republicans have linked mainstream Democrats with DSA during the midterm election cycle.

“It is imperative as Members of Congress that we recommit ourselves to the Constitution and stand firm against this insidious push for socialism,” Crank said in a statement. “The vast majority of Democrats voted against my resolution to condemn socialism in all its forms. Ten to 15 years ago, a resolution like this would’ve passed the House unanimously. The DSA is a threat to the American values that make our nation great.”

Kiros said in a statement the resolution ignores the issues Americans worry about.

“Jeff Crank has time to write a resolution condemning universal access to healthcare and fighting for working people, but not one word about the gas and grocery prices crushing his constituents right now,” she said. “He rubber-stamped Trump’s war with Iran, and now the people he represents are paying for it every time they fill up their tank or buy groceries.”

The resolution also included a call to enact the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and in-person photo identification in order to vote, a bill that Democrats opposed, fearing it will disenfranchise many otherwise eligible voters. That bill has passed in the House but is languishing in the Senate. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York cited the bill’s inclusion in Crank’s resolution as his reason for voting against it.

The resolution is mainly symbolic and will likely serve as a messaging vote for Republicans in the midterms.