Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia has consistently been a vocal opponent of providing US aid to Ukraine, even when her fellow Republicans were not.
However, by threatening to remove Speaker Mike Johnson, the Georgia Republican may unintentionally increase the likelihood of the House passing additional aid to the country under siege in the upcoming weeks.
Throughout the past few months, Greene consistently emphasized to reporters that providing aid to Ukraine was a significant issue for her. She made it clear that she would take action against Johnson by proposing a “motion to vacate” if he allowed any further aid to be approved by the House. Aware of this warning, certain Democrats expressed their willingness to shield Johnson from being removed from office if it meant avoiding a vote on Ukraine aid.
By filing her resolution on Friday to protest Johnson’s handling of government funding, Greene has inadvertently given House Democrats a significant amount of leverage.
Democrats, who represent the majority of potential votes to remove Johnson from his position, now have a straightforward and concise demand for the GOP leader: bring the Ukraine aid to a vote, and in return, we will set aside any motion to remove him from office that arises as a consequence.
That could imply casting a vote on the national security supplemental of $95.3 billion that was passed by the Senate in February. This supplemental includes $60 billion in aid for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. Alternatively, it could involve separate votes on the aid for Ukraine and Israel, as Johnson has expressed his desire to do.
“I’m not even worried about whether he votes for the bill. All I want is for him to bring it,” stated Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger of Virginia during a press conference on Friday, in reference to the bill that was passed by the Senate. “If that’s the case, then I would motion to table it at that point.”
In October, there was a notable shift in circumstances as Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida took action to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position. This move came after McCarthy’s announcement of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, which infuriated Democrats. They held a lengthy list of complaints against McCarthy, but none of these issues could be easily resolved. Adding to the tension, McCarthy made it clear that he did not want any assistance from Democrats.
The impeachment inquiry by House Republicans appears to be struggling on its own. Johnson has already had to depend on Democratic votes multiple times to pass recent spending bills. Furthermore, with the November election just 7 months away when Congress returns from its current recess, the timing becomes crucial.
Many Democrats may not be inclined to defend Johnson. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who is against the Senate’s national security supplemental due to the aid provided to Israel, made it clear on CNN that she would not support him.
“I cannot support a candidate for speaker who dismisses women’s rights, disregards bodily autonomy, and has shown support for overturning a presidential election,” stated Ocasio-Cortez.
Democrats don’t need to vote in favor of Johnson; they simply have to vote against Greene’s motion to vacate by choosing to table it. It doesn’t have to be all Democrats, or even a majority of them; it just needs to be enough to counter the number of Republicans supporting Greene.
House Democrats will likely come together to determine their approach to the matter, making it too early to predict the exact outcome. It is possible that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could view the issue as a vote of conscience, granting individual members the freedom to make their own decisions.
It is still uncertain how Johnson will handle the situation.
Republican Representative Mike McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a proponent of Ukraine aid, stated in an interview on CBS on Sunday that Johnson has given his assurance to hold a vote on Ukraine aid “after Easter.”
With the cat now out of the bag, Johnson can move forward with the assurance that his job will likely be secure, at least until November, if he holds a vote on Ukraine aid that satisfies the Democrats.
