Florida House GOP Denounces Democratic Socialism

WFSU | By The News Service of Florida

Published April 15, 2021 at 6:56 AM EDT

The Florida House has approved a resolution denouncing democratic socialism. The resolution is nonbinding, which means it has no effect other than sending a message.

Despite opposition from Democrats, the Republican-controlled Florida House on Tuesday adopted a resolution denouncing democratic socialism.

The measure (HR 145) describes democratic socialism as “a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates the ownership or regulation of production, distribution, and exchange by the community as a whole.”

The resolution said, “democratic socialism is denounced in favor of the true American values of individual liberty, private property, and constitutional democracy.”

Bill sponsor Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miramar, said the measure is “a resolution for the Florida House to speak for our values and for our economic system.” But Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, objected that the resolution did not condemn the infiltration of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump in January.

“I’m curious why, when you talk about tyranny, we’re not including any of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, because that was a very tyrannical act committed by Americans,” Eskamani said. Eskamani also asked why issues like slavery are not condemned in the resolution. Fabricio responded that the resolution is limited in scope to the “issues of democratic socialism.”

Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, argued that the House should condemn ideologies such as white supremacy. Fabricio said the resolution takes an “economic position” against democratic socialism, arguing that the political ideology “is a slippery slope that does lead to socialism in many nations.”

House members voted 79-36 to approve the resolution, with Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, crossing party lines to vote for it.