Primary Representative Jim Himes

I was ashamed to read Connecticut’s own Representative Jim Himes voted to censure his fellow Democrat, Representative Al Green from Texas, for interrupting President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. As Trump and his fascist cronies in the Republican Party dismantle what’s left of our democracy, Himes seems primarily concerned with decorum. The milquetoast Democrat is unfit to serve in this perilous era and needs to be primaried.

During the presidential address on March 4, Green rose from his seat, clutching a cane, and yelled Trump had no mandate to cut Medicaid. He was quickly removed from the room as Republicans drowned out his voice with mindless, jingoistic chants. Green’s was a courageous act which should be celebrated. Our country wouldn’t be in nearly as much trouble as it currently is if the nominal opposition party would do more to follow the Texas congressman’s lead.

Himes justified his vote to CNN, saying: “I don’t mind being one of 10 Democrats who said, no, there’s a deeper principle at stake here, which is reverence for this institution…I have no love for Donald Trump, but I do have reverence for the office of the president.” He went on, arguing lawmakers had to act with civility in order to protect the United States’ global reputation. It’s hard to overstate the degree to which the Connecticut representative is misreading the moment.

Trump has sought to assert monarchical powers and rhetorically likened himself to a king. Our country was founded on a violent rebellion against this kind of dictatorial control. In that context, Green’s peaceful protest demonstrated remarkable restraint. And, yet, it was too much for Himes, who appears stuck in an imagined bipartisan past. We need Democratic politicians who are passionately committed to defeating Republican fascism and never allowing it to rise again.

Members of the Democratic coalition have a wide variety of policy goals. For instance, as an animal activist, I’d like to see a massive infusion of federal funding into cultivated-meat research. The new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. I think the emerging technology is the most promising means of reducing nonhuman suffering and premature death. However, none of our goals can be achieved under a right-wing authoritarian state.

Himes has made clear he is not the kind of anti-fascist crusader we need right now. Frankly, most Democratic officials have demonstrated the same, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. We urgently require a Tea-Party-like movement from the left, which will wipe all these accommodationist Democrats from office. The party’s current trajectory will result in a generational setback for all progressive causes.

Trump’s address to Congress actually provides a useful rubric for evaluating Democratic lawmakers. If your senator or representative didn’t skip the event, walk out of it, or get removed from the speech, chances are good they need to be primaried. Himes not only didn’t do any of these things, he voted with Republicans to censure someone who did. Let’s replace the Connecticut representative with a real Democrat, prepared to fight back against the fascists.