House Democrats Say Theyll Save Speaker Johnson if He Faces Ouster Vote The New York Times

Table Of Content

• House begins first round of voting for speaker
• What happened when tempers really got out of control on the House floor.
• Johnson says he "feels very good" about speaker vote
• House back in turmoil: Marjorie Taylor Greene makes her move to oust Speaker Mike Johnson
• After opposing Emmer bid for speaker, Trump says his "strong suggestion" is to support Johnson
• Johnson, who came in second, helping Emmer flip holdouts: "We are going to finish this tonight"
• How Many Votes Does Speaker of the House Need? What to Know as Big Gains Are Made

Finding a replacement for the California Republican took three weeks amid significant GOP infighting, with former President Donald Trump demonstrating his power over the party by making public statements that undercut support for one of the leading candidates. "I voted for Mike Johnson because his voting record before he became speaker was conservative," Greene said at a press conference on Wednesday morning outside the U.S. "But once he became speaker, he has become a man that none of us recognize." He said he did not have any conversation with Jeffries before the national security supplemental came to a vote about whether he could count on Democratic support if a motion to vacate was brought to the floor. At their own private meeting this week, some Democrats objected to helping Johnson, particularly after he helped lead Trump’s legal challenges to the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.

House begins first round of voting for speaker

Johnson returned to the House to applause from those in the chamber, and McHenry called the House back into order. McCaul's measure goes on to declare that the House "stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic and intelligence support." "I know that in your heart you love and care about this country and you want to do what's right and so we're going to find common ground," Johnson said. Johnson listed a number of his priorities, including border security, cutting federal spending and establishing a bipartisan debt commission "immediately." Johnson also acknowledged that the chaos of the last three weeks has chipped away at Americans' confidence in the lower chamber. "Our mission here is to serve you well, to restore the people's faith in this House in this great and essential institution."

What happened when tempers really got out of control on the House floor.

For a fourth, fifth and sixth time Wednesday, Republicans tried to vote McCarthy into the top job as the House plunged deeper into disarray. But the votes were producing almost the same outcome, 20 conservative holdouts still refusing to support him, and leaving him far short of the 218 typically needed to win the gavel. Although Greene’s campaign has no chance of success, her move to force a vote on a motion to vacate will mark the second time in less than a year that the House has considered removing its speaker.

Stage set for a vote against House speaker - WORLD News Group

Stage set for a vote against House speaker.

Posted: Wed, 01 May 2024 22:20:00 GMT [source]

Johnson says he "feels very good" about speaker vote

"I said there's only one person that can do it all the way. You know who that is? Jesus Christ." After the first round of voting, Sessions received the lowest number of votes and was eliminated. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that there was "zero" discussion among Democrats during their caucus meeting on Monday night about helping Emmer.

Vote to oust U.S. House Speaker Johnson could come next week - Magnolia Tribune

Vote to oust U.S. House Speaker Johnson could come next week.

Posted: Wed, 01 May 2024 19:00:00 GMT [source]

Mr. McCarthy, who rarely moved from his seat over the days of votes, approached Mr. Gaetz and Ms. Boebert in their seats and appeared to be pleading with them to change their votes, his signature smile wiped from his face. At one point, Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Alabama, had to be restrained after stepping toward Mr. Gaetz. By Friday afternoon, Mr. McCarthy had won over 15 of the 21 Republicans who had defected, and he pressed into the night for more converts, a remarkable turnabout for a man who only days before appeared to be headed for defeat. His path was narrow until the end; only a few of the six remaining holdouts were seen as open to negotiating further. The statement was issued by Representatives Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader; Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 Democrat; and Representative Pete Aguilar of California, the chairman of the Democratic caucus.

They listed a list of complaints against Johnson, including his leadership in securing the aid for Ukraine. Just one other Republican, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, has joined Greene and Massie in their effort. A memo sent out by the House’s chief administrative officer Thursday evening said that committees “shall only carry-out core Constitutional responsibilities." Payroll cannot be processed if the House isn't functioning by Jan. 13. That change and others would shrink the power of the speaker’s office and give rank-and-file lawmakers more influence in drafting and passing legislation. A 13th vote was swiftly launched, this time, just between McCarthy and the Democratic leader, without a Republican challenger to siphon GOP votes away. “This motion is wrong for the Republican conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country,” he said in a statement.

House to take up resolution declaring support for Israel

And by the end of the day, with the majority of the detractors finally coalescing around Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Gaetz appeared to have softened his tone. Also part of the proposal, Republicans familiar with it said, was a commitment by the leader to give the ultraconservative faction approval over a third of the seats on the powerful Rules Committee, which controls what legislation reaches the floor and how it is debated. He also agreed to open government spending bills to a freewheeling debate in which any lawmaker could force votes on proposed changes. House Republicans control the lower chamber with just a razor-thin majority and a one-vote margin, meaning with Greene, Massie and Gosar calling for Johnson's removal, that would be enough votes – assuming Democrats joined them – to topple the speaker.

Johnson, who came in second, helping Emmer flip holdouts: "We are going to finish this tonight"

Johnson, a little-known lawmaker who is now second in line for the presidency, attracted the support of all 220 Republican members in attendance, surpassing the 215-vote total that was required to win. All 209 Democrats voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the party's House leader. With Republican lawmakers growing irritable after days of fruitless voting, a heated argument broke out between several of them.

How Many Votes Does Speaker of the House Need? What to Know as Big Gains Are Made

Rep. Mike Johnson, who came in second to Emmer in the final ballot, told reporters he's trying to help Emmer flip the remaining holdouts. Rep. Mike Johnson won on the final ballot for GOP speaker, defeating Rep. Byron Donalds, according to a tweet by Rep. Elise Stefanik. McCarthy, who was not a nominee, received 43 votes, and there was one other vote of "present." There was a potential sign of trouble for Johnson — McCarthy, who was not a declared candidate, received 43 votes in the final round of voting, well more than the 29 votes won by Rep. Byron Donalds, who was an  official finalist in the race.

Mr. Jeffries had indicated earlier that Democrats were likely to come to Mr. Johnson’s aid if he put the foreign aid package on the floor and allowed a bipartisan coalition to support it despite opposition from many on the far right. When Republicans took steps to push Kevin McCarthy from the speakership last year, Democrats joined in the vote to remove him, resulting in Mr. McCarthy’s ouster. Another potential leadership crisis has raised significant concerns among Republicans about how it would reflect on the party in a critical election year. The coming showdown has the potential to plunge the House into chaos once again after the lower chamber has already seen the ouster of its last GOP speaker, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Asked Tuesday evening by reporters whether Trump's opposition had been a deciding factor in his withdrawal from the speaker race, Emmer replied, "I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference." Washington — Rep. Mike Johnson won the GOP nomination for House speaker Tuesday night, defeating Rep. Byron Donalds and becoming the fourth speaker designate selected by his party since Rep. Kevin McCarthy's historic removal as speaker — and the second in a single day. GOP lawmakers are expected to rally their votes behind Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to be the next speaker despite reluctance from some who are wary of his hardline approach.

Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas told reporters some of Emmer's past comments are "causing him some problems today," though he didn't specify what the statements were. Still, the Texas Republican cast doubt on Emmer's ability to garner 217 votes and again pledged to nominate Trump for speaker on the floor. Shortly after Emmer was elected as the GOP's nominee for speaker, several conservative lawmakers publicly announced plans to vote against him when the House convenes for a formal floor vote. Jordan’s supporters are confident that the public floor vote will force the remaining holdouts to flip their way. Kevin McCarthy narrowly won the speakership in January on the 15th round of balloting, after five excruciating days.

But a Jordan speakership would also come with baggage that could present a challenge to Republicans as they labor to hold their House majority in next year’s election, an effort that will likely hinge on drawing support from moderate voters in swing districts. Most recently, Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, withdrew his bid for the speakership just hours after winning a closed-door vote. A week prior, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio failed to win the speakership after three floor votes, facing increasing opposition from his own party in each vote. Before him, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana withdrew his bid after winning a closed-door vote to become the nominee.

In October, Republican Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker, becoming the first leader to ever be formally removed from the role, and his departure set off chaos in the House. With House Republicans unable to choose a new leader, the chamber came to a standstill for three weeks until Johnson’s election. Emmer, the majority whip, is one of the two speaker candidates who voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results. As House Republicans gathered earlier in the week to select their third nominee for speaker, Trump vowed to remain on the sidelines of the race. But hours after Emmer won the nod in a closed-door vote by the conference Tuesday morning, the former president lambasted the Minnesota Republican, writing on Truth Social that "voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake." At the time, Republicans had won the majority despite losing a staggering 77 seats, shrinking their margin over Democrats from 171 to just 18.

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on a Republican congresswoman moving forward with a bid to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson. The longest fight for the gavel started in late 1855 and dragged on for two months, with 133 ballots, during debates over slavery in the run-up to the Civil War. McCarthy lost a seventh round and was gaining no ground in an eighth on Thursday.