House Democratic leaders would vote to save Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) from a motion to vacate if one was brought by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), the first time Democrats have made a definitive decision on how they would respond to efforts to oust the speaker.
In a statement released Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and other House Democratic leaders said the time has come to “turn the page on this chapter of pro-Putin Republican obstruction” following the passage of the foreign aid package last week — another perceived nail in the coffin for Johnson as Greene called the speaker a “lame duck” and his actions a “betrayal.”
“We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair,” Democratic leaders said. “If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed.”
The statement comes after weeks of speculation that some Democrats would be willing to save Johnson should his speakership be threatened, especially after some members such as Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) publicly said they would block the measure.
Greene was quick to respond to Democrats’ decision, arguing the move was evidence of Johnson acting as a “Democrat Speaker.”
“Here is their official endorsement of his Speakership,” Greene said in a statement. “He should resign, switch parties, and continue voting for Biden’s open border invasion of America, endless wars, full term abortion on demand, trans agenda on children, warrantless spying on the American people, weaponizing government against President Trump and his supporters, and every other Democrat wishlist item he’s handed over.”
However, Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) pushed back on the notion that Democrats were endorsing Johnson’s speakership and explained it’s a move to avoid more chaos.
“None of the discussion that we had in caucus was about saving Mike Johnson. The underlying motion debate was not discussed. The motion to table was, and there is a distinction there,” Aguilar said on Tuesday. “We want to turn the page and focus on the pressing issues that everyday Americans care about. And spending time on this just doesn’t make sense to us.”
Greene also accused Johnson of orchestrating some sort of “slimy back room deal” to save his speakership, something the speaker said he did not do. He said during the GOP leadership press conference on Tuesday that he did not hear about Democratic leaders’ statement to table a possible motion to vacate until reporters asked him.
“I’ve never requested assistance from anyone. I’m not focused on that at all,” Johnson said.
While he said, “This is the first time I’m hearing of this,” when asked about the statement, he said he has had colleagues from both parties “come up to me on the floor, of course, and say, ‘We won’t stand for this.'”
He brushed off the motion to vacate, saying, “No one can afford that.”
“We have to do what we believe to be the right thing,” Johnson said. “What the country needs right now is a functioning Congress. They need a Congress that works well, works together, and does not hamper its own ability to solve these problems.
“And so we saw what happened with the motion to vacate the last time Congress was closed for three weeks. No one can afford that,” the speaker said.
It is looking less likely that Johnson’s gavel is in danger from Greene and the Republicans’ hard-line flank. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) said the motion to vacate is “dead,” and there’s a lot of chatter around the motion but “not the willpower.”
“There just isn’t a will amongst the conference to something that drastic,” Cammack said. “I mean, clearly, there are members that are dissatisfied, but that’s nothing new to Capitol Hill.”
When asked about the chances of Greene advancing her motion, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) said, “Motion to what?”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who said last week he was opposed to the motion to vacate, told reporters that “you guys are the only ones talking about that right now.” Instead, he said Republicans should be focused on maintaining the majority in November.
“Again, you guys are the ones focusing on that,” Roy said. “I mean, mostly our constituents are — they’re mad about the [foreign aid] vote, but they want us to, you know, unite with purpose and go beat Democrats in the fall.”
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Greene has indicated she will not back down from her threat to force a vote on Johnson’s ouster, suggesting she could still bring the motion to the floor to give Democrats “the chance” to elect him as their speaker.
“I’m a big believer in recorded votes because putting Congress on record allows every American to see the truth and provides transparency to our votes,” Greene said. “Americans deserve to see the Uniparty on full display. I’m about to give them their coming out party!”
