41 Democrats Crossed the Aisle: Inside the House Vote on the Defending American Property Abroad Act

On March 27, 2026, the House passed H.R. 7084 — the Defending American Property Abroad Act — by a vote of 247 to 164. The final tally was notable for more than the margin: 41 Democrats and 1 Independent voted YES, making it one of the most bipartisan House passages of the 119th Congress's second session. Zero Republicans voted NAY. The bill now heads to the Senate.

This is a vote breakdown. Here is what the bill does, who voted for it and why, and what the numbers reveal about where bipartisan agreement is actually possible in the current Congress.

What the Bill Actually Does

H.R. 7084 amends Title 46 of the United States Code — the section of federal law that governs shipping. Specifically, it restricts which vessels may enter navigable waters of the United States or transfer cargo at any U.S. port.

In plain English: the bill gives the U.S. government new authority to bar certain foreign-controlled or foreign-flagged ships from accessing American ports and waterways. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee report (CRPT-119hrpt563) explains the legislative rationale in detail — the bill is designed to protect U.S. maritime infrastructure and commercial shipping lanes from vessels owned, controlled, or operated by entities tied to adversary nations.

The bill was introduced January 15, 2026, referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, ordered reported January 21, and the committee report was filed March 20 — clearing the way for the floor vote one week later. The full bill text is available at Congress.gov and the bill history is tracked by GovTrack.

The Vote Breakdown

The vote was called at 10:27 AM ET on March 27, 2026. Here is the party breakdown from the official Clerk of the House roll call record:

The Republican side was unanimous among those who voted — 205 YES, 0 NAY, 11 Not Voting. That's 100% caucus unity on passage. Among Democrats, the split was 41 for and 164 against, with 9 not voting. The lone Independent YES vote came from Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), who switched party affiliation from Republican in early 2026.

Who Crossed — and Why

Forty-one Democratic members voted YES on H.R. 7084. The list includes some of the most predictable crossover names in the House — and a few notable surprises. Confirmed YES votes from the roll call record include:

The geographic pattern is consistent: port-adjacent districts, maritime labor constituencies, and national security moderates. The Great Lakes corridor (Kaptur), the Gulf Coast (Cuellar, Gonzalez), the Pacific ports (Brownley, Carbajal, Bynum, Lofgren, Gray, Correa), and the Northeast maritime economy (Lynch, Houlahan, Gottheimer) account for a significant share of the Democratic YES votes.

For senior members like Rep. Clyburn (D-SC) — a veteran of the House who represents a district with direct port-commerce interests — and Rep. Lynch (D-MA), whose district abuts Boston Harbor and whose constituents include International Longshoremen's Association members, the vote tracks economic and labor interests more than pure partisanship.

Where It Goes Next: The Senate

H.R. 7084 now moves to the Senate, where the arithmetic is different. Under Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to advance through cloture — meaning at least 7 Democratic senators would need to vote to proceed to debate (assuming 53 Republican senators vote in favor). The House's 41-Democrat crossover coalition suggests some bipartisan appetite exists, but Senate dynamics don't always mirror House ones.

The Senate Transportation Committee may take up the bill, hold hearings, or amend it before any floor vote. A companion Senate bill could also emerge independently. Watch the bill's status page at Congress.gov for Senate referral and scheduling updates.

For context on how Senate bipartisanship has worked (and failed) in the 119th Congress's second session, see CVT's Q1 2026 Bipartisanship Index.

One Vote in a Week of Contrasts

The H.R. 7084 passage stood out against a backdrop of sharply partisan DHS-related voting. That same week, Roll Call #104 — passage of H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act — passed 218-206 with only 4 Democratic crossovers. The DHS appropriations disposition rule (H Res 1142) passed 213-203 with only 3 Democratic YES votes.

By comparison, H.R. 7084's 41 Democratic crossovers — more than ten times the crossover count on the DHS spending fight — illustrates how subject matter, not just partisanship, drives vote coalitions. When legislation touches maritime security, port labor, and economic infrastructure, the partisan divide narrows measurably.

The full roll-by-roll comparison for this week is available in CVT's Weekly Recap for March 23–27, 2026.