Democrat refuses to throw Speaker Mike Johnson lifeline
WASHINGTON — Republicans are in another battle for control of the House with far-right firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) leading a charge against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). At least one Democrat, however, is refusing to lend his support.
Johnson has allowed a number of bills to come to the House floor for votes that the right-wing of his party isn't happy about. For example, polls show a majority of Americans want to fund Ukraine. The majority of Congress does too, as evidenced by the fact that the bill passed.
Yet Greene and her ilk are furious that the funding measure was given a vote and passed. It is one of three bills that conservatives take issue with, including the budget bill and legislation to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Donald Trump opposed the latter and encouraged his congressional allies to oppose it.
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Last week, House Democrats told Raw Story that they would likely save Johnson, but using a congressional procedure rather than an actual vote.
"We are not a party that is endorsing Donald Trump; that is moved to the most extreme position in opposition to what the American people want us to do here," said Minority Whip Katherine Clark (DMA). "So, our goal here is to get back to governing. And this particular motion to vacate — we will table. But that is not a statement of unity with anything this House GOP is doing."
But when Raw Story caught up with Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), it appeared that kind of support was not party-wide.
He said, "hell no," and he would not support anything that keeps Johnson as speaker.
"A. he is the most ideological, right-wing speaker in history, and his views are antithetical to mine," he told Raw Story.
"And, he's not just a bad vote, he litigated, he litigated to overturn the election," Connolly said to emphasise the speaker's involvement. "Litigated against abortion rights. Litigated against gay and lesbian rights."
Connolly explained that Johnson's history as a lawyer for Exodus International, "that still practiced what is now considered to be the medically harmful conversion therapy. And his wife had a Christian podcast where they say we're a Christian nation, which I think would come as news to Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Ben Franklin."
According to a CNN KFile review of dozens of videos from Exodus International, the group put on a big event each year with teenagers promoting their anti-LGBTQ beliefs.
"So why would I want to keep someone like that in the Speaker's chair when I have the opportunity to take him out?" Connolly asked.
His second problem is that these constant GOP votes to replace the speaker aren't helpful for the country.
"So, will she do it next week?" he asked of Greene. "Is she willing to do it a hundred times?"
"And there have already been statements, 'Well, this is a one-time thing,'" he said of Republicans. "Well, I thought you didn't like the chaos. So, the chaos is wrong this week but not next week? No logic."
His third point is asking about Johnson's "shelf life" in the GOP because Democrats do what they do with every Republican Speaker and come together for deals. This is in opposition to the part of the caucus that doesn't want for any bills to be coordinated with Democrats.
"The final point I would make is this talk about chaos," Connolly closed. "So, the question I ask, after the chaos ensued with the removal of Kevin McCarthy, are Democrats in a stronger position here or are weaker. Pretty obvious isn't it, stronger. Do we have more leverage or less? More. Can they do anything without us? No. Well, then why do you want to save them for more of that?"
He explained that Democrats are benefitting from the chaos in the GOP, "not in a narrow partisan way. The issues we care about, the agenda we want to protect, the people we are trying to protect all have benefitted. They can't do that all that odious s--t they want to do. Well, why do you want to stop that? Because you think you owe them something? What do you owe them? Do you know how many Ukrainians died because he waited five months? I'm sorry, you're doing your job as speaker and bringing up a bill that has 311 votes and brought it up five months ago. I owe you nothing."