WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement Tuesday that they would vote to help save President Mike Johnson if far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., moves to oust him .
“From the start of this Congress, House Democrats have put people above politics and found bipartisan common ground with traditional Republicans to get real results,” the House leader said. House Minority Hakeem Jeffries of New York; Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts; and Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California. “At the same time, House Democrats have aggressively pushed back against MAGA extremism. That’s exactly what we will continue to do.”
Democratic leaders said they would vote to table or reject Greene’s resolution to vacate the chair against Johnson, R-La. – a decision that would effectively kill the resolution.
“If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed,” Democrats said.
They released their statement just as Johnson and his GOP leadership team held a news conference at the Capitol, ensuring the speaker would be questioned about it. As the news ricocheted across social media, an aide quickly handed the speaker a note; Johnson told reporters it was the first he had heard of it. Asked if he had a deal with Jeffries, Johnson replied: “No, there is no deal at all.”
In a statement moments later, Greene pledged to move forward and force a vote on Johnson’s future.
“Mike Johnson is officially the Democratic Speaker of the House. Here is their official support for his presidency. What slimy behind-the-scenes deal did Johnson make for Democratic support?” she wrote. “He should resign, change parties and continue to vote for Biden’s open invasion of US borders, endless wars, complete abortion on demand.”
She then said she would give Democrats and Republicans the opportunity to “support the president the Democrats choose,” without specifying when the vote would take place.
“I strongly believe in recorded votes because having Congress recorded allows every American to see the truth and ensures transparency in our votes,” Greene continued. “Americans deserve to see the Uniparty on full display. I’m about to give them their coming out party.”
For months, Greene has attacked Johnson, threatening to force a vote to oust him if he brought Ukraine aid to the House floor. Johnson did just that, pushing a package through the House that included aid to Ukraine, as well as funds for Israel and a bill to ban TikTok in the United States. It became law last week after the Senate approved it and President Joe Biden signed it. this in the law.
Democrats hailed the package’s passage in their statement, crediting “a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans, led by President Biden.”
The statement from Jeffries and his leadership team Tuesday is the strongest signal yet about how House Democrats would respond to a move to oust the president. Many rank-and-file Democrats have said they would defer to leaders on how to handle such a vote, while a handful of moderates have signaled for months that they would save Johnson.
An aide to Democratic leadership offered some explanation for the change in posture, which previously included asking members to keep their powder dry and not publicly commit to helping Johnson if a motion to overturn was filed.
“We don’t want to participate in MTG’s MAGA circus,” this person said. “We want Congress to work and do the work of the people. The House has been consumed by enough MAGA mayhem. »
News Source : www.nbcnews.com
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