Towards a Mandated, Nationalized, and Disloyalist Congressional Endorsement Strategy
The following is Marxist Unity Group's position on the Initiate a Deliberative Membership Engagement & Debate Process Regarding the Congressional Endorsements resolution, as well as our broader electoral vision.
Beyond AOC: Building an Electoral Opposition
Marxist Unity Group is committed to building a revolutionary opposition to the ruling class, independent of the Democratic Party, through DSA’s chapter-level electoral programs and the newly opened National Electoral Commission, which forms the basis for a socialist party. This strategy guides every decision we make as DSA members.
Toward that end, we plan to vote no on renewing our national-level endorsement for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and yes for endorsing Rashida Tlaib.
At Convention, we passed an amendment to NPC Recommendation #8 which instructed the NPC to consider a series of red lines around Palestinian liberation in endorsement decisions, including but not limited to:
Pledging to oppose legislation that harms Palestinians, such as
Any official adoption of a redefinition of antisemitism to include opposition to Israel’s policies or legal system, or support for BDS (e.g., IHRA definition of antisemitism);
Legislative and executive efforts to penalize individuals, universities, and entities that boycott Israel (which, in addition to harming Palestinians, violate rights to freedom of speech and expression);
Legislative and executive efforts to send any military or economic resources to Israel.
Pledging to support legislation that furthers the cause of Palestinian liberation, such as
Legislative and executive efforts to end Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians and promote Palestinians’ rights to return to and live freely on the land (e.g., H.R. 3103, most recently introduced in the 118th Congress);
Condemnation of Israeli apartheid and colonial practices (e.g., H.Res. 751, introduced in the 117th Congress);
Attempts to end the spending of U.S. tax dollars on Israel and/or sanction Israel until it ceases its practices of apartheid and colonialism (e.g., “Not On Our Dime!”).
In light of Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s yes vote on H.R. 888, “Reaffirming the State of Israel’s Right to Exist,” which defends Zionism and conflates criticism of Israel with anti-semitism, her abstention on H.R. 5323, the “Iron Domes Supplemental Appropriations Act,” which funds the Israeli military and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and her recent signature on a statement expressing support for “strengthening the Iron Dome and other defense systems,” we believe her actions are in opposition to the Palestinian liberation movement and our mandate from Convention.
DSA members should be under no illusions about Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s political home and what party she is building. Her remarks about DSA’s role in her coalition, the $260,000 donation to the DCCC, and Biden's endorsement make that clear. There are two open questions that must be addressed by the NPC during the endorsement process: Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s intent on support of the Iron Dome or any other aid to Israel, and plans for the Democratic National Convention in August.
We recognize that within DSA, there is disagreement on how to orient to Biden and the Democrats in an election against Trump, despite Biden enabling the genocide of Palestinians. However, we believe it is uncontroversial that aid to Israel is unacceptable. While there have been disagreements about messaging and tactics, DSA members have been united in action against the genocide in Gaza. This commitment is non-negotiable. There can be no national endorsement for anyone unless there is a guarantee that they will not vote in direct contradiction to our commitment to Palestinian solidarity and the tireless organizing of DSA members across the country.
As a result of the discussion circles around the 2024 election and No Votes for Genocide, we believe that the path to the greatest unity for DSA right now is to focus on the DNC as the culmination of the Uncommitted campaigns around the country. We have submitted a resolution to this effect to bring DSA National into coordination with the plans Chicago DSA is already making. Whether or not this passes, DSA will be in Chicago to protest outside the convention. DSA might also be able to challenge Biden and the Democratic Party’s genocidal policy as Uncommitted delegates. Will our most prominent elected official be inside the hall with the same message as the rest of DSA or not? The whole world will still be watching.
By contrast, Representative Tlaib has been a champion of the Palestinian movement and the workers of the world, leading the fight against the United States ruling class and the genocide in Gaza, and we are proud to support her endorsement, exemplified by her statement on H.R. 888:
Israel does not have a right to carry out illegal occupation and apartheid—which will never
lead to a just and lasting peace. Unfortunately, this resolution is a one-sided attempt to
rewrite history, contributes to the ongoing erasure of Palestinians by not even
acknowledging their existence, and fails to recognize the historical and ongoing Nakba in
which countless Palestinians have been and are actively being killed, displaced, and driven
from their homes.
DSA should continue to build our relationship with Representative Tlaib, uplift her leadership in the Palestinian liberation movement, and fight Zionist and liberal-democratic attacks against her in the media, in the streets, and at the ballot box.
We are open to reconsidering our position should we see movement by Representative Ocasio-Cortez toward consistent solidarity with Palestine, both in word and deed, and opposition to Joe Biden and the leadership of the Democratic Party. We will continue to support common action between Representative Ocasio-Cortez and DSA when we are on the same side of the barricades, but until then, it is time for DSA to move beyond endorsements that put charismatic leadership over political principles.
Rejecting an endorsement is no substitute for the difficult and patient work of building an electoral opposition. We retain both our commitment to DSA’s electoral project, as exemplified by the Uncommitted campaign in the Democratic Party primary and DSA-led campaigns for office and ballot initiatives across the country, and our opposition to abstention from electoral politics, which abandons the struggle for political leadership of the working-class to liberal Democrats.
Radical Democracy or Digital Democracy?
MUG will be voting no on Groundwork’s Resolution to Initiate a Deliberative Membership Engagement & Debate Process Regarding Congressional Endorsements unless amended to remove the advisory poll, extend the timeline for mass deliberation, and remove all references to Representative Tlaib.
DSA’s power is rooted in the strength of our representative democracy, including mass discussion and deliberation, election of leadership, and common action around majority positions. Online polling atomizes democracy by turning it into a passive consumer choice 2, where rather than winning members to their ideas, factions rely on email lists to turn out voters who have not been brought into our deliberation, and who are able to tune out as soon as voting is complete. Polling places bureaucratic power in the hands of the leaders responsible for writing the questions, boxing members into a set number of rigid choices by removing the ability to amend or table decisions in parliamentary deliberation.
We will also move to amend the resolution to extend the scope of discussion further, leading a nationwide discussion about the role of local and national endorsements, our expectations for DSA-endorsed elected officials, and our response when those expectations are broken. We need to involve members not just in the conversation about this endorsement vote, but about our electoral strategy as a whole, stewarding mass debate and visioning about the future of DSA.
We agree that it is important for members to discuss our electoral strategy. We believe that the centerpiece of this discussion is on the national endorsement of Representative Ocasio-Cortez. Representative Tlaib and the already endorsed Representative Cori Bush are widely known as champions of Palestinian liberation. There is no controversy about re-endorsing Representative Tlaib. Mandating a membership discussion about her endorsement would not be a productive use of time. The questions we are facing that membership must discuss are how we relate to an elected official who wavers on Palestinian liberation and is out of alignment with DSA on the most important work we are currently doing.
DSA’s strength is its mass membership and its commitment to democracy, and we must carry that commitment to its logical conclusion, opening up and democratizing our organization, fighting to overthrow the capitalist constitutional order, and leading the working class to power through a democratic and socialist republic.
