Congressman Cheers Reports of Dire Financial Straits Faced by Democratic Socialists of America

Ritchie Torres says, ‘It is fair to say that I will not be mourning its death or attending its funeral.’

AP/Mariam Zuhaib
Congressman Ritchie Torres at a news conference on Capitol Hill in 2023. AP/Mariam Zuhaib

A Democratic congressman from New York, Ritchie Torres, is celebrating reports that a far-left party tied to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and other members of the so-called liberal “Squad” in Congress is on the ropes financially and may need to begin laying off staffers soon.

Mr. Torres, an ardent supporter of Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists whose office has been vandalized by pro-Palestinian protesters, tells the Sun he is heartened by reports Monday that the Democratic Socialists of America is reeling from debts said to be in the seven figures.

“The DSA is collapsing in real time under the weight of its own antisemitism and extremism,” Mr. Torres says. “It is fair to say that I will not be mourning its death or attending its funeral.” 

According to a report in Monday’s New York Post, the leadership of the socialist group circulated a memo among union staffers telling them that the group must cut at least half a million dollars from its operating budget. If the cuts are not made, the memo — penned by the DSA’s Marxist Bread and Roses caucus — said layoffs of paid staff would begin in the near future.

“DSA is in a financial crisis and staff-related costs account for 58% of our total expenditures and 72% of our projected income,” the memo said, according to the Post.

Liberal Jewish supporters of the group say its unwavering support for Hamas and other Palestinian groups responsible for the October 7 attacks at Southern Israel have damaged its credibility and led to reduced fundraising.

“DSA long ago fell into the trap of becoming so radical in the name of ‘justice’ that they abandoned the mission of the progressive movement,” a founder of Zioness, Amanda Berman, told the paper. Zioness is a group that represents liberal Jews who support Israel.

The downward spiral for the Democratic Socialists reportedly began in 2022 when the group picked a fight with another member of the Squad from New York, Congressman Jamal Bowman. Mr. Bowman was singled out for visiting Israel at the time.

Mr. Torres, who represents the South Bronx in Congress, has also had run-ins with the group since October 7. The congressman criticized its members for promoting an antisemitic rally in Midtown Manhattan after the terror attacks, and they, in turn, have staged several protests outside his district office. On Christmas Day last year, vandals splattered red paint across the facade of his office and left behind a doll they dubbed the “Palestinian child messiah.”

“The escalation in intimidation and incitement against Members of Congress feels like it is heading in a dangerous direction,” Mr. Torres posted on Twitter at the time. “I, for one, will not be intimidated.”


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