- “I believe there are a fair number of Democrats who don’t want to see the speaker fall as a result of doing the right thing. Observation’
- A motion to leave has been hanging over Johnson’s head since parliamentarian Marjorie Taylor Greene launched the bid to oust him almost three weeks ago.
Leader Hakeem Jeffries suggested his Democrats can save Speaker Mike Johnson from impeachment if he puts the Senate-passed national security package on the floor of the House of Representatives.
If Johnson puts the foreign aid bill on the floor, “I think there are a fair number of Democrats who wouldn’t want to see the chairman fall as a result of doing the right thing. Observation, not explanation,” said Jeffries, NY.
A motion to leave has been hanging over Johnson’s head since MP Marjorie Taylor Greene launched the bid to oust him almost three weeks ago. The Georgia Republican is a staunch opponent of aid to Ukraine and has already threatened to target Johnson if he raises the issue.
With the razor-thin Republican majority, Johnson can only afford to lose three Republicans and keep his job.
Jeffries suggested that his Democrats can only save Speaker Mike Johnson from being impeached if he puts the Senate-passed national security package on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Johnson, meanwhile, has reached out to former President Donald Trump, Greene’s close ally, and will now appear with him at a joint press conference on “election integrity.”
Johnson said Thursday that sending aid to Ukraine would help Trump.
“The supply and weapons systems needed to stop him actually put President Trump in a good position [if elected]Johnson said in an interview with CBN News. “I am convinced he can bring about peace there.”
Jeffries added that Johnson would only get a helping hand if he presented the Senate-approved $95 billion package with money to Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and Gaza and no border political drivers were allowed to speak.
The Senate-passed bill included both humanitarian and military aid: $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Johnson suggested he would not introduce the Senate bill in the House of Representatives because adding only military aid would be more “palatable” to members.
“No American taxpayer should be tasked with keeping the nation of Ukraine’s pension system afloat.”
Any foreign aid bill would likely have to pass under a suspension of rules in the House of Representatives, meaning a two-thirds majority would be needed to pass.
The bill would lose some Democrats who would oppose further aid to Israel without humanitarian conditions. It would lose some Republicans who are outright opposed to aiding Ukraine, jeopardizing its chances of passage.
But Jeffries insisted that the bill would pass even if it were shelved — he would get enough Democratic votes.
A motion to leave has been hanging over Johnson’s head since parliamentarian Marjorie Taylor Greene launched the bid to oust him almost three weeks ago.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Speaker Mike Johnson gave her “a lot of excuses” at a meeting and has not backed down on her threat to launch a bid to oust him.
“I believe there are enough votes to ensure that the National Security Act makes it to the legislative finish line,” Jeffries said.
On Wednesday, Greene met with Johnson for 70 minutes to iron out their differences, but they remained at an impasse.
Greene said she warned Johnson that “he will be personally responsible for finding this continued murder of people in a foreign country that is not a NATO ally of ours, and that the American people do not support.”
They and like-minded conservatives have warned the speaker not to bring up foreign aid funding for Ukraine before a vote, saying the U.S. border crisis must be addressed first before money can be doled out to wars abroad.
But the pleas from the White House, Ukrainian President Zelensky, the Democrats and moderate Republicans to vote on aid to the controversial country also put pressure on Johnson.
