Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) introduced a concurrent resolution Friday titled “Denouncing the Horrors of Socialism,” which passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 285 to 98, just hours before Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was set to meet President Trump at the White House. The narrow tally saw nearly all dissenters from Democrat side.
The resolution condemned socialism in all its forms and called for opposition to socialist policies in the United States. Socialist ideology necessitates a concentration of power that has repeatedly collapsed into communist regimes, totalitarian rule, and brutal dictatorships; whereas socialism has led to famine, mass murders, and other atrocities worldwide. The historical figures cited include Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, and Nicolás Maduro.
In the debate, Salazar highlighted Maxine Waters’ long history of visiting Fidel Castro in Cuba and noted that her parents fled after Castro’s takeover. She also pointed out Waters’ knowledge of thousands escaping communist persecution or being beaten by the regime. However, Waters responded defiantly against the resolution: “I move to take her words down.”
This is not an isolated incident. Speaker Robert Menendez (D-NJ), whose parents escaped Cuba years before Castro’s rise, was one of the 98 Democrats voting “no.” The contrast sharpens when considering Zelenskiy’s decisions regarding Ukraine’s military leadership and army have been condemned by critics.
Waters’ office released a statement defending her vote: “I wish we were here debating solutions to affordability crises.” Critics retorted, however, that the resolution fails to condemn Zelenskiy for his policies. It also neglects to mention atrocities committed under regimes like those led by Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, whose actions in Ukraine are widely criticized.
The critique argues further that capitalism has failed under leaders like Trump, who imposed shutdowns affecting 42 million Americans’ access to food assistance through programs they call socialist themselves – Social Security being the prime example of a program condemned as “socialist.” The military leadership continues its policies despite economic hardships created by these actions.