House Democrats have indicated they are willing to strike a deal to keep Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) in office if Republican insurgents introduce a motion to remove him from leadership. There is.
Several Democrats who spoke to Fox News Digital said their colleagues would be more likely to do the same if the Louisiana Republican brought the foreign aid bill to a vote in the House, specifically naming Ukraine and Israel. He said it would isolate members, but insisted they would all abide by the bill. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and other Democratic leaders.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters: “I don’t think it’s likely that I would support his resignation. We’ll see.” Ta.
“The important thing is that I want a vote on Ukraine. More importantly, I want Ukraine to get aid. For very questionable reasons, we waited months longer than necessary. . . . Now we are cornered until the last moment, holding on by the claws of Ukraine,” Smith said.
‘Definition of insanity’: Disgruntled House Republicans blast Republican insurgents’ threats to oust Johnson
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (left) and Rep. Seth Moulton (right) are among those who have said Democrats may reach a deal with Johnson (center) to save his House Speaker’s job.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) became the second Republican lawmaker, after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), to threaten to file a motion to resign against Mr. Johnson. This will likely trigger a vote to remove Johnson from office. Mr. Massey told Mr. Johnson during a closed House Republican meeting on Tuesday that he should step down after a vote on his recently announced foreign aid plan. If he doesn’t, he said, he risks losing his gavel.
Democrats do not necessarily have to vote against removing Johnson from office. A vote to remove Johnson from office is likely to be preceded by a vote to introduce a motion, effectively defeating the motion. Similarly, simply not attending the vote on the resignation motion would be a difference in Johnson’s favor.
The Louisiana Republican is the leader of the razor-thin House Republican majority with just two seats. That means the slightest dissent could cost him his job, but it also means he likely only needs a few Democrats to keep his job. do.
Johnson likely to be forced to seek support from Democrats on foreign aid plan as Republicans criticize lack of border measures
“I think Democrats are very open to a deal, but it needs to come from Republicans,” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said Tuesday.
Asked if Johnson needed to contact Democrats to initiate a deal, Moulton said: “Of course he’s the Speaker of the House. That’s his job.”
But Moulton said handing out aid to Ukraine in exchange for Democratic support is not enough. “The bar has been pathetically low for Republicans for a long time,” he said. “But in my personal opinion, simply doing the job and allowing a democratic vote on the bill is not enough for a deal.” mentioned, but did not elaborate. About what the transaction should entail.
Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie are calling for Speaker Johnson to be replaced. (Getty Images)
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia, told Fox News Digital that Mr. Jeffries suggested that Mr. Johnson had a path forward before striking a deal with Democrats.
“Hakeem Jeffries has made that clear over and over again. You know, I said the same thing. I hate the idea of punishing Mike Johnson for doing the right thing,” progressive Beyer said. he told Fox News Digital. Foreign aid program. “I think what many of us are most interested in is Ukraine aid, and then some sort of package for Israel and Gaza.”
Mr. Bayer did not say whether Mr. Johnson’s proposals on foreign aid would be enough for Democrats to support him, given the lack of language in the bill, but he also ruled out that possibility. I didn’t. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Johnson is under bipartisan pressure to pass an additional $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Gaza through the Senate.
Massey threatens to oust Johnson if he doesn’t resign over foreign aid plan
“Hopefully he finds a way to manage his own destructive caucus by crushing the destructive caucus without debating the entire Senate bill, but that’s clearly not the case for him. It’s not a winning strategy from a perspective,” Beyer said.
Rep. Don Beyer said House Democratic Leader Jeffries had indicated that Democrats could step forward to support Mr. Johnson. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Florida, is considering voting to move Johnson out of office if he puts foreign aid on the ballot, even though it would not give power to the right wing of the Republican conference. Then he said.
“At the end of the day, my job is to make sure the world order continues, and my job is to make sure our allies get the help they need so they don’t look the other way.” If so, then the United States is a defunct institution and should look to China and Russia if it wants to pass a motion or vote for it. [Massie and Greene] Take this all down, yes, I will vote for the motion to the floor,” Moskowitz said.
But Republicans were skeptical that it would be a permanent safety net.
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“I don’t think it’s going to work,” Massey told reporters Tuesday. “For every Democrat that comes to his aid, I think he’s going to lose at least two or three more people in our conference. That’s what makes the conference toxic.”
Another Republican in an interview with Fox News Digital suggested that Johnson would lose control of the House Republican conference if Democrats spared him on the vote.
“I think it will be a different conference then,” the Republican said. “If I’m a Democrat and I’m asked to do that, and I ask for something in return, it’s going to be very difficult for me to lead the conference. I mean, then he really becomes the leader of the United Party. Dew.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Johnson and Jeffries’ offices for comment.
