WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, of Washington, and her Blue Dog coalition colleague Rep. Jared Golden, of Maine, may face disciplinary action from House Democratic leadership after they unexpectedly helped Republicans pass a key procedural vote on Tuesday.

“The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,” Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a joint statement Tuesday night.

“It is an action that necessitates a serious response, and we have asked the Committee on Caucus Rules to take this up in short order.”

The Democratic Committee on Caucus Rules convened Wednesday for a prescheduled session but did not immediately indicate any next steps against Gluesenkamp Perez or Golden, both of whom have said they voted in the interests of their districts. Jeffries told reporters on Wednesday he seeks action against the Congress members “sooner rather than later.”

The episode highlights the political bind of two centrist Democrats whose political identities are rooted in breaking with their party as they represent districts where Republicans remain competitive. Both champion the Blue Dog Coalition ethos, which describes itself as pragmatic, fiscally responsible Democrats. But Tuesday’s vote was different. By helping Republicans advance their legislative agenda, they crossed a procedural line that Democratic leaders regard as fundamental to maintaining leverage in the House.

Golden is not running for reelection; Gluesenkamp Perez is vying for a third term to represent her swing Southwest Washington district.

On Tuesday, they voted to pass a procedural measure that advanced a slate of Republican-led bills, including a resolution to denounce “socialism in all its forms,” which also included language praising the Trump-backed SAVE America Act. The move was highly unusual: Such procedural measures almost always fall along party lines, with the minority party usually uniting against the majority party.

The set of bills also contained one co-authored by Golden to shield lobstermen from federal regulations protecting whales. “This bill is a big win not only for fishermen in Maine, but for bipartisanship in Congress,” Golden said after his bill’s passage in the House. “While the threat of unnecessary, industry-killing regulations is a matter of survival for lobster harvesters in Maine, the issues at play affect fishermen across the Northeast.”

Gluesenkamp Perez in a statement indicated that she also voted for the procedural measure because of Golden’s bill. “Whether we’re talking about lobsters or sea lions — working people need a seat at the table and electeds need to listen to them.”

Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez were also among eight Democrats on Tuesday evening who voted to condemn “socialism in all its forms.”

Republicans have sought to frame Gluesenkamp Perez as a cloaked leftist, tying her to socialists in campaign messaging across Southwest Washington’s third congressional district.

Soon after the vote, she posted on social media suggesting that much of Tuesday’s legislative business was misguided.

“Working America is hanging on by a thread, trying to feed our families without being beholden to big government or big business,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. “Standing around pointing fingers, debating -isms and making people photocopy their birth certificate every time they cast a ballot is not the job.”

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