Several House Democrats expressed their readiness to support Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) attempt to remove him — although they indicated that their decision would depend on how he deals with Ukraine aid.
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) told CNN on Friday he would vote to keep Johnson as Speaker.
“It’s absurd he’s being ousted for doing the right thing, keeping the government open. It has two-thirds support of the Congress and the idea that he would be ousted by these jokers is absurd,” he said.
When asked if he thought other Democrats would do the same, Suozzi replied, “I hope so.”
Greene filed the motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair — the same mechanism that was used to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarty (R-Calif.) last fall — to protest the $1.2 trillion package to keep the government open the House passed on Friday.
However, there's less enthusiasm for the idea of removing the Speaker’s gavel. McCarthy’s removal resulted in three weeks of chaos and a paralyzed lower chamber. Even many members of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, who are angry with Johnson for his handling of the spending bill, have dismissed the idea.
And Democrats, who voted unanimously to remove McCarthy — and then unanimously against every subsequent GOP Speaker nominee — seem more open to the idea of helping Johnson stay in his post.
“I do not support Speaker Johnson, but I will never stand by and let MTG to take over the people’s House,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) wrote on the social media platform X.
Even some liberals, who oppose Johnson on virtually every major policy issue, appear open to the idea of rescuing his Speakership — if he’s willing to consider the foreign-aid package passed by the Senate last month.
“I’d want to see his good-faith action before that happened,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).
Huffman noted that Democrats would not be voting directly on the binary choice between choosing a Speaker Johnson or a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), but might opt to support a procedural tool, known as a motion to table, to prevent Greene’s vacate resolution from getting a vote, “which is easier” for Democrats to support politically, he said.
Certainly, Democrats would likely look for guidance from Jeffries, the party’s leader in the House. He has not disclosed his stance.
But even before Greene made her motion, Democrats were considering the idea of aiding Johnson, though most also based it on his handling of Ukraine aid.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Hill last month that he thought Democrats would assist Johnson in avoiding a revolt over Ukraine aid.
“If we get a vote on the appropriations bills and we get a vote on the supplemental, there’ll be enough Democrats that Johnson will not be removed as Speaker,” Smith said. “That’s just my view.”
And several others said in January that they would be ready to intervene — if Johnson committed to working with Democrats.
Mike Lillis made a contribution.
