Jeffries Claims No Democrats Will Support Johnson for Speaker Role
House Democrats preserved Johnson’s speakership in May.
WASHINGTON—House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stated that no Democrats will support House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) continuation in office.
“I believe, with a significant level of confidence, that there will be no Democratic votes for any Republican Speaker candidate on January 3,” Jeffries informed reporters on December 11.
Johnson possesses 219 seats, which means he can only afford to lose one. His caucus has unanimously put forth his nomination to continue as speaker, suggesting he has enough votes to retain the gavel. To secure victory in the speaker’s election, 218 votes, or a simple majority, are needed on the House floor.
It is anticipated that House Democrats will back Jeffries for the speakership, similar to their actions in January 2023 when Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) eventually claimed the position after a total of 15 voting rounds.
McCarthy was removed from his position in the following October after he proposed a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown. Johnson took over after a protracted struggle, with unanimous support from Republicans.
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Greene’s motion to vacate was sparked by Johnson’s move to propose aid for Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.
“From the onset of this Congress, House Democrats have prioritized people over politics and collaborated with traditional Republicans to achieve tangible results.”
Initially, Jeffries refrained from confirming whether Democrats would support Johnson.
“I am confident that a considerable number of Democrats would not wish to see the speaker removed for doing the right thing,” he remarked.
Johnson mentioned that he did not seek Democratic support.
“I didn’t ask for assistance from anyone at all,” he shared with reporters.
While members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were part of the GOP’s opposition to McCarthy’s speaker candidacy, most eventually complied after McCarthy met many of their demands, including reducing the threshold for initiating a motion to vacate.
Nevertheless, something similar is not expected in January, according to the caucus’s leader, Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.).
