Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) officially owes his gavel to Democrats.
An overwhelming 163 Democrats chose to continue Mike Johnson’s coalition government with the essential co-Speaker Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), voting to table a motion from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) to strip Johnson of his gavel.
The historic 359 to 43 vote likely cements Johnson’s speakership – for now.
The final tally included seven Democrats voting present and eleven not voting, along with ten Republicans who did not vote.
Ultimately, only 32 Democrats proved unhappy enough with Johnson’s stewardship of the House to vote to enable Greene’s gavel-stripping resolution to move forward.
Democrats have a good thing going under Johnson. Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats have controlled the House agenda under Johnson.
“Even though we’re in the minority, we effectively have been governing as if we were in the majority because we continue to provide a majority of the votes necessary to get things done,” he told CBS. “Those are just the facts.”
Greene filed her motion to vacate the chair Wednesday evening. She read an extensive list of Johnson’s violations that led to her motion, as her colleagues jeered and mocked her throughout.
As expected, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), on behalf of Johnson, immediately moved to table that motion – which would effectively kill it.
Jeffries and his leadership team had promised they would deliver the votes to save Johnson, but their promise did not extend beyond an initial tabling vote. Greene, her partner Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), or any other Republican can force another vote, a prospect Democrats have not tipped their hand as to how they would respond.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
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