BY: MADDY BOLDEN
PUBLISHED: SEP 16, 2026 2:46PM CT
House Democrats are expressing frustration after Reps. Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez once again broke with party leadership to support a procedural vote advancing a key priority of President Donald Trump’s administration.
The vote marked the second time in recent weeks that the two centrist Democrats have defied their party leaders. The latest move reportedly led to a tense exchange Tuesday evening between Gluesenkamp Perez and Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 House Democrat and party whip.
According to a person familiar with the exchange, Clark appeared to raise her voice while speaking with Gluesenkamp Perez on the House floor shortly after the vote. Golden, who is retiring after his current term, has faced less criticism from fellow Democrats.
On Wednesday, Clark told CNN, “In my opinion, we need team players. And team players get to sit on exclusive committees.”
The vote was a rule vote, a procedural step that allows the House majority to bring legislation to the floor. Members of the minority party typically vote together against such measures.
Democrats were particularly frustrated because the vote cleared the way for consideration of a Russian sanctions bill backed by Trump. The White House has made the legislation a priority and reportedly contacted at least one House Democratic centrist in an effort to secure support for the Republican procedural vote. That lawmaker ultimately voted against it.
Gluesenkamp Perez defended her decision, pointing to the large Ukrainian-American community in her Washington district. She said her vote moved the sanctions legislation closer to becoming law and that she planned to support measures targeting Russian oil revenue.
The episode has renewed debate among House Democrats over party discipline. Following the previous instance of members breaking with leadership, Democrats had already been discussing possible consequences for members who oppose the caucus on important procedural votes.
Rep. Pete Aguilar, another senior House Democrat, said the caucus would discuss potential disciplinary measures.
“We’ll have some conversations as a family, and we’ll go from there,” Aguilar said.
He also offered a blunt message to fellow Democrats regarding the repeated defections: “That’s not what we should be doing.”
