A group of House Democrats are willing to help House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) keep his post if GOP hardliners attempt to oust him.
A group of House conservatives are pressing Johnson to abandon the $1.66 trillion spending deal with Senate Democrats. On Friday, the speaker said he’s sticking with the deal to avert a partial government shutdown next week.
If passed, the bill would include an added $69 billion in non-defense spending as part of a deal former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made with President Joe Biden last year. It’s one of several terms Republican hardliners asked Johnson to renegotiate, threatening an effort to oust the speaker if he doesn’t comply.
Some Democrats are saying they could support Johnson if he reaches out to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to come up with an agreement to give House Democrats a stronger voice in the chamber.
“Just like I told McCarthy: Talk to Hakeem, and there are some of us that can support you,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), per the Hill. “I’ll say the same thing [to Johnson].”
Another unidentified centrist Democrat reportedly facing an uphill reelection this year told NBC while Johnson is not their “favorite person in the world,” the job is difficult.
“I probably would [support Johnson],” the Democrat said. “We can’t do another three-week standstill. As it is, we’ve got nothing done in the 118th Congress. Look, he’s not my favorite person in the world, but on the other hand, it’s a terrible and tough job in this Congress.”
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All House Democrats voted to remove McCarthy from the speakership in October, joining a group of eight House Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). The historic ousting left Congress scrambling to find a new Republican leader in a three-week legislative halt. After multiple candidates tried and failed to win enough support from the conference, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Johnson was unanimously elected by House Republicans.
As tensions rise between Johnson and the power of a small fraction of House Republican caucus, centrist Democrats are willing to step under certain terms. “We wouldn’t be offering it as an act of charity,” retiring Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) reportedly said. “We would say, ‘Look, if you need Democrats to govern, then you’re going to have to take Democratic input.’”
