Speaker Mike Johnson may keep his job with Democratic votes, but his opponents signaled that they won’t stop trying to get rid of him.
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What Happens After Johnson Survives A Motion To Vacate?
If Johnson survives a motion to vacate, this may be hard to believe, but things might get even more dysfunctional in the House.
Massie hinted that there could be additional attempts to oust Johnson even if he survives the first one — meaning Democrats would have to actively decide to step in to help him over and over again.
It would also force other members of Johnson’s right flank to vote to keep a speaker that has Democratic support, potentially opening them up to criticism from their base.
“They will doom him. … They won’t save him. How is that sustainable?†Massie said. “If his speakership depends on Democrats it becomes harder for [Republicans] to vote for him in subsequent motions to vacate.â€
If Johnson gains Democratic votes, he may lose Republican votes. Democrats aren’t going to keep coming in to save Johnson repeatedly.
House Democrats will save Mike Johnson once because they have given no indication that their votes are permanent. In fact, they have said the opposite. They will help Speaker Johnson this one time because he did the right thing on aid to Ukraine.
However, House Democrats aren’t going to continue voting for a Republican Speaker.
There is also the great unknown of how many House Democrats are willing to vote to keep Johnson around. It could be five or it could be ten. It is definitely not a big number, so if the dam breaks and there is a flood of Republicans who leave Johnson, just like Kevin McCarthy was, he will be finished.
Mike Johnson seems doomed. He has to hope that Democrats keep voting to keep him around, or he can prevent a full Republican rebellion. Either way, Johnson is going to come out of this situation even weaker than Kevin McCarthy.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a 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
