Congressional Democrats seem prepared to support Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) against a potential motion to vacate, if it arises, according to a report.
Over 24 Democrats told POLITICO they expect a group from the party to step in and support Johnson if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) proceeds with her motion to vacate against him.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) predicted most Democrats in the conference would support Johnson if a privileged motion to vacate came up.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D-WA) told Politico that Johnson showed leadership worth preserving by advancing his $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes nearly $61 billion for Ukraine.
She added that if Johnson continues in the same manner, she would vote similarly, though she would not support him in a Speaker election, as that is a different situation.
Johnson’s bundling of different spending bills without border security measures comes months after he criticized a similar package proposed by the Senate in February before its release.
House Republicans emphasized from the beginning that any supplemental national security legislation should recognize that national security starts at the U.S. border.
Greene filed her motion to vacate in March, right before Johnson broke the Hastert Rule during the omnibus vote. Her motion gained support due to Johnson’s recent actions. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) cosponsored Greene’s motion, while Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) supported it after the package passed the House.
This motion differs from Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL), which was used to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), as it is not privileged and doesn’t require immediate consideration. If Greene makes it privileged, the House must consider it within two days.
On April 17, Massie shared on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Daily that he would like to see Johnson agree to resign as Speaker if the conference agrees on a successor. This could prevent a chaotic period like the weeks without a Speaker after McCarthy’s removal.
Massie emphasized the need to avoid the possibility of Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker. He expressed the desire to continue issuing subpoenas, holding hearings, and passing bills, even if they don’t advance in the Senate, and to maintain a Speaker in the House.
