House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is having a hard time holding her troops together. Fox News elucidates, “Some moderate members in swing districts — including Reps. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, Kendra Horn of Oklahoma, Cindy Axne of Iowa and Ben McAdams of Utah — ripped the massive measure as a one-sided partisan bill that is going nowhere… And there’s resistance in the most liberal wing of the party, too, where some said the $3 trillion measure isn’t big enough. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said her “no” vote was “difficult” but the bill fell short on ensuring Americans continued to get paychecks and had access to health care.”

One GOP member, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is bucking his party and supported the legislation that will give a nearly $1 trillion bailout to state governments staggered by their self-inflicted budget holes. “I can be as much a red state person as anyone. But now we’re talking about survival. And this is no place for politics. There’s a lot in the bill that I disagree with, but Mitch McConnell refuses to bring up aid to state and local governments. New York will absolutely collapse if that aid money is not there,” King told Fox News.

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The Democrat defectors appeared during a Friday morning procedural vote when 14 Democrats voted against their party including moderates, progs and “The Squad” of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).

“Do I think it should be bolder? Yes,” Ocasio-Cortez told the press. “Do I think there should be more, especially as a starting offer. Absolutely. But I do anticipate that there’s going to be some sort of deal on the other end,” AOC concluded.

Moderate Democrats, not pleased with having to vote for such a liberal bailout and boondoggle in an election year, especially as some of them represent Trump-voting districts, ripped into Pelosi and her bill. “This is Washington politics at its worst,” said Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC). “While South Carolina families, small business owners, and workers are struggling, now is not the time to advance a partisan wish list or refuse to come to the negotiating table. At a time when our country is in real trouble, we should not be spending precious time on one-sided solutions that aren’t going anywhere.”

“Unfortunately, many members of Congress — including some in my own party — have decided to use this package as an opportunity to make political statements and propose a bill that goes far beyond pandemic relief and has no chance at becoming law, further delaying the help so many need,” said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) as she announced her “no” vote.

“This is not the time for partisan gamesmanship, this is the time to find common ground and deliver help where it is needed most,” Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) said. “In response to COVID-19, our relief efforts must be targeted, timely, and transparent. The HEROES Act does not meet those standards.”

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These Democrats are smart and will likely be rewarded at the polls for their wisdom in this regard. Not that they will skate to automatic victory, but it gives them some moderate creds against GOP ideological attacks. As for Pelosi? She is just making herself and her allies more vulnerable both in the purely legislative and in the political sense. Not a great formula for success now or in November.