House Votes to Denounce Socialism Before Mamdani’s Meeting with Trump

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed a resolution denouncing the “horrors of socialism” on Friday, just hours before democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani‘s scheduled meeting with President Trump at the White House.

The resolution, introduced by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), received bipartisan support, passing with a vote of 285-98. All opposing votes came from Democrats, with two members voting “present.”

The resolution stated, “Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.” Salazar, who has personal ties to Cuba, criticized Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) during the debate, claiming she had a friendship with Fidel Castro and was aware of the suffering in Cuba.

“Madame Waters saw the destruction of Biblical proportions that Castro caused on that island,” Salazar said. Waters responded by moving to have Salazar’s remarks taken down, which Salazar later voluntarily withdrew from the congressional record.

Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) criticized the resolution as a distraction from pressing issues faced by Americans, emphasizing that House Republicans should refocus on the affordability crisis affecting the nation.

Some members of Congress who supported Mamdani, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), voted against the resolution. House Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also opposed the measure.

The vote came as Mamdani arrived at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, ready to discuss New York City’s affordability with Trump. The two leaders have had a contentious relationship, with Trump previously labeling Mamdani as “my little Communist.”nnMamdani stated, “I think we should be relentless and pursue all avenues and all meetings that could make our city affordable for every single New Yorker.” After the House resolution passed, Mamdani added, “I focus very little on resolutions, frankly.”

The discord within the Democratic Party heightened during the mayoral election, where Mamdani gained support from various progressive figures. This internal division was evident as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly backed Mamdani yet voted in favor of the GOP’s resolution.

During the floor debate, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) stated, “Let me educate our colleagues on the other side of the aisle: socialism is communism-light.” Salazar and Malliotakis cited historical failures of socialist regimes as justification for the resolution’s passage, including references to North Korea and the Soviet Union.

This concurrent resolution was also introduced in the Senate by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). Both resolutions were submitted prior to the New York City mayoral election but gained urgency with Mamdani’s election imminent.