Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, defended his decision to break with Democratic leaders and support a Republican rule governing several GOP-backed bills, declaring that he was “going with the fishermen.”
Golden and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., joined Republicans in advancing four measures. One was a resolution condemning socialism, while another was legislation introduced by Golden to give Maine lobstermen economic protections related to rules intended to protect the North Atlantic right whale.
Golden’s lobster legislation passed late Tuesday evening.
“I have great empathy for right whales,” Golden told the Substack “Out of State” following the vote. “I want to see them survive.”
Golden, however, argued that Maine lobstermen are not responsible for most right whale deaths and said his obligation was to the fishing communities in his district.
“But given the reality of what’s going on here, that most of their deaths have nothing to do with Maine lobstermen, if it’s a choice between Maine fishing communities and the right whales, I, as a representative for Maine’s 2nd District, I’m going with the fishermen and the families and the communities that they live in,” Golden said.
The Maine Democrat said siding with his party would have left him feeling that he had abandoned lobstermen when they needed his support.
Golden described the whale-protection regulations facing lobstermen as “unworkable” and said fishermen were “terrified” about the potential consequences.
According to Golden, communities could be forced into painful conversations about which families would be allowed to continue fishing and which would have to leave the industry. He compared the potential collapse of fisheries to a “mill closure,” warning that the economic damage could devastate entire communities.
“No property tax base, schools closed, everyone moves away –– it’s just devastating,” Golden said. “I literally had fishermen telling me that they were contemplating suicide.”
Golden called it a “nonsensical conversation” to suggest that he should have sided with Democratic leadership by voting against the GOP rule, particularly because doing so would have jeopardized legislation that he had introduced to protect a central part of his constituency.
Voting against his own bill “to help my core constituency” would have been viewed as “just a bitter betrayal,” Golden said.
The votes from Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez effectively rescued House Speaker Mike Johnson’s September agenda. The package included messaging on socialism, environmental policy and Israel that could create challenges for Democrats facing competitive November midterm elections.
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said the two defections “came as a surprise.”
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., rejected the idea that Democrats should punish Golden or Gluesenkamp Perez for voting with Republicans.
“No, no, no,” McGovern said. “Who are we, the Republicans?”
Gluesenkamp Perez similarly indicated that she backed the Republican rule to help guarantee passage of Golden’s lobster legislation. She argued that environmental protections cannot be assured without hearing from those whose livelihoods and heritage depend on the water.
