President Mike Johnson may introduce the Ukraine aid bill in the House, but only if Democrats help him save his job when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tries to fire him.
How can Mike Johnson be defeated as spokesman for aid to Ukraine?
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has had his seat threatened by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who promises to make a motion to vacate the House floor if aid to Ukraine passes the House in any form .
According to Punchbowl News, Johnson is not opposed to aid to Ukraine, but one ally suggests that House Democrats may have to promise to vote to save his job in exchange for introducing the bill to the House:
For more stories like this, sign up for our The Daily newsletter.
Of course, Johnson has to deal with a potential vacate motion from hard-line Conservatives on Ukraine that could cost him his job. (Rep. Brian) Fitzpatrick, whose bill includes only lethal foreign aid and a modest border security fix, is urging Democrats to consider saving Johnson’s office if that happens. Fitzpatrick said this could be the deciding factor in whether the United States abandons Ukraine.
“We need our Democratic colleagues to help us here,” Fitzpatrick said. “We cannot punish anyone who puts a bipartisan bill on the table to save America and the world from existential threats.”
Should Democrats Save Mike Johnson?
Johnson wouldn’t need the entire Democratic caucus to vote for him. The speaker would likely need three to eight Democrats to support him to elect him president again. The Republican House majority is so small that Greene and one or two of her allies could unseat Johnson. It will therefore be up to a couple of Democrats to save Johnson’s job.
Should Democrats do this in exchange for helping Ukraine?
If Johnson gets the support of any Democrats to keep his job, he would be a dead man walking politically speaking.
House Democrats could and should demand more in exchange for bailing out Johnson.
Democrats should seek Ukraine’s help and a promise to fund the government for the rest of the year because there is a good chance that Republicans will lose the House in November, so any Johnson bailout would only be short-term.
The problem is that Democrats are not the majority in the House and it is not their job to choose the speaker.
If House Democrats were to bail out Johnson, leader Hakeem Jeffries likely wouldn’t whip the speaker’s vote and wouldn’t allow his caucus to vote as they choose.
Democrats should not be put in this position. Johnson should show some leadership and put aid to Ukraine to a vote.
A special message from PoliticusUSA
If you are in a position to donate exclusively to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here.
We are honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we respond only to our readers and will not compromise on that core, core value of PoliticusUSA.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association