House Democrats have declared their support for Speaker Mike Johnson, vowing to block a GOP-led effort to remove him from his post, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
As the House grapples with internal divisions, House conservatives are closely monitoring the actions of their Democratic counterparts after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries led a statement pledging to protect Speaker Mike Johnson from a potential ouster threat initiated by Republicans.
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., expressed skepticism over the Democrats' motives, speculating that they may be engaging in a "psy-op" to provoke Greene into forcing a vote, ultimately seeking to have Johnson vacated.
House Democratic leaders have issued a joint statement declaring their opposition to a House-wide vote on ousting Johnson, pledging to table the motion to vacate the chair. This procedural hurdle would prevent the House from proceeding to the main vote if successful.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, is spearheading the effort to unseat Johnson, citing his bipartisan efforts on government funding and foreign aid as reasons for her opposition.
Conservative lawmakers remain doubtful of the Democrats' pledge, with Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., suggesting that they may be trying to incite Greene to force the vote, questioning the wisdom of such a strategy.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., added to the skepticism, stating that rumors among Hill members indicate Democrats' intent to goad Greene into action. Both Mace and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., emphasized their opposition to ousting Johnson.
Since Greene filed the resolution to remove Johnson nearly 40 days ago, it has garnered support from only two co-sponsors, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. The motion has largely fallen flat within the GOP.
Even Johnson's critics in the House Freedom Caucus have distanced themselves from Greene's push, signaling a lack of appetite for a repeat of the chaotic events surrounding the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall.
To force leaders to address her resolution within two legislative days, Greene would need to declare it "privileged" on the House floor. However, she has not yet indicated her下一步.
In response to the Democrats' announcement, Jeffries stated that House Democrats have consistently prioritized bipartisanship and rejected MAGA extremism. He emphasized that they would continue to do so and would vote to table Greene's motion if she invoked it, preventing it from succeeding.
Speaker Johnson appeared unaware of the Democrats' statement when asked by a reporter, stating that he must focus on his duties and the country's need for a functioning Congress.
Greene responded to the Democrats' endorsement on X, criticizing Johnson's bipartisan approach and accusing him of making a "slimy back room deal" with Democrats.
