Motion to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson thread

[Antonio the Sixth]

So when is the MTV actually being voted on?

[Frodo]

So when is the MTV actually being voted on?

Rumor has it that if it does come to the House floor, several House Republicans would immediately resign, thereby throwing the House to Democratic control.  With dire implications for Donald Trump, so his stooges are having second thoughts.  Again, it is just a rumor. 

[GeorgiaModerate]

So when is the MTV actually being voted on?

Rumor has it that if it does come to the House floor, several House Republicans would immediately resign, thereby throwing the House to Democratic control.  With dire implications for Donald Trump, so his stooges are having second thoughts.  Again, it is just a rumor. 

AFAIK the source of this rumor is Anna Paulina Luna, so I would rate the likelihood of this as somewhere between "slim" and "none".

[Frodo]

So when is the MTV actually being voted on?

Rumor has it that if it does come to the House floor, several House Republicans would immediately resign, thereby throwing the House to Democratic control.  With dire implications for Donald Trump, so his stooges are having second thoughts.  Again, it is just a rumor.  

AFAIK the source of this rumor is Anna Paulina Luna, so I would rate the likelihood of this as somewhere between "slim" and "none".

Ah.  Well then, I look forward to the drama.  

If there is any Republican House Speaker that deserves to be rescued by Democrats, it is Mike Johnson, especially after he (finally) kept his word on the Ukraine funding bill.  Now it is time for us as Democrats do our part.  And think of the prospect of a GOP House Speaker in the months ahead whose job depends on the goodwill of House Democrats and the President of the United States... 

[Antonio the Sixth]

Either way, if MTG&co don't even feel confident enough to bring the motion to the floor (even if just to force Johnson to rely on Dem votes, which would be a symbolic defeat) that's a huge show of weakness and seems like it would embolden Johnson to defy the Clowns Caucus more and more in future budget negotiations.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Either way, if MTG&co don't even feel confident enough to bring the motion to the floor (even if just to force Johnson to rely on Dem votes, which would be a symbolic defeat) that's a huge show of weakness and seems like it would embolden Johnson to defy the Clowns Caucus more and more in future budget negotiations.

Lol Eday is on Nov they don't have much time to vacate the chair anyways

[emailking]

Either way, if MTG&co don't even feel confident enough to bring the motion to the floor (even if just to force Johnson to rely on Dem votes, which would be a symbolic defeat) that's a huge show of weakness and seems like it would embolden Johnson to defy the Clowns Caucus more and more in future budget negotiations.

Lol Eday is on Nov they don't have much time to vacate the chair anyways

It doesn't take months lol.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's the thing: If Johnson goes down, no one in their right mind is going to want to replace him. During the McCarthy vacate drama, the GOP basically had three options:

1-Elect a moderate Republican as Speaker (possibly even a non-House member) with Democratic support.
2-Find some random backbencher to make Speaker that no one in the caucus would object to.
3-Actually give into the Freedom Caucus demands and make someone like Jim Jordan Speaker.

They went with option 2, but if that doesn't work, why would it again? Maybe someone like that could just continue and muddle through until the election, but then either they lose the Speakership if the Democrats take the House or they end up like McCarthy next term, either way their political career is over. Maybe they could try finding someone who is retiring anyway as a sort of placeholder but would the Freedom Caucus agree to that? Seems pretty transparent what they would be doing.

So either they'd have to completely humiliate themselves and piss off the base with option 1, or a bunch of Republicans in swing districts have to doom themselves with option 3.0 It's a no-win scenario.

Thus why so many Republicans are retiring in droves, and I bet if Johnson goes down a lot of more surprising ones will, like possibly even ones that have already been renominated.

The House is basically ungovernable now under a narrow R majority. It needs to have either a D majority or a strong R majority, the latter of which isn't possible under the current political climate.

But even if Johnson hangs on (which I bet he will, likely a lot of if not most/all Democrats will vote Present on the motion to vacate) that leaves him with almost no chance of being Speaker next term, or at least of being Speaker in a desirable position, he'd probably have to go through the same nonsense McCarthy did at the beginning of the term, I suppose he could just step down and go back to being a random backbencher but who's going to want to replace him and have to go through all that?

[politicallefty]

Here's the thing: If Johnson goes down, no one in their right mind is going to want to replace him. During the McCarthy vacate drama, the GOP basically had three options:

1-Elect a moderate Republican as Speaker (possibly even a non-House member) with Democratic support.
2-Find some random backbencher to make Speaker that no one in the caucus would object to.
3-Actually give into the Freedom Caucus demands and make someone like Jim Jordan Speaker.

They went with option 2, but if that doesn't work, why would it again? Maybe someone like that could just continue and muddle through until the election, but then either they lose the Speakership if the Democrats take the House or they end up like McCarthy next term, either way their political career is over. Maybe they could try finding someone who is retiring anyway as a sort of placeholder but would the Freedom Caucus agree to that? Seems pretty transparent what they would be doing.

So either they'd have to completely humiliate themselves and piss off the base with option 1, or a bunch of Republicans in swing districts have to doom themselves with option 3.0 It's a no-win scenario.

Thus why so many Republicans are retiring in droves, and I bet if Johnson goes down a lot of more surprising ones will, like possibly even ones that have already been renominated.

The House is basically ungovernable now under a narrow R majority. It needs to have either a D majority or a strong R majority, the latter of which isn't possible under the current political climate.

But even if Johnson hangs on (which I bet he will, likely a lot of if not most/all Democrats will vote Present on the motion to vacate) that leaves him with almost no chance of being Speaker next term, or at least of being Speaker in a desirable position, he'd probably have to go through the same nonsense McCarthy did at the beginning of the term, I suppose he could just step down and go back to being a random backbencher but who's going to want to replace him and have to go through all that?

There may be a lot of Members that aren't institutionalists, but the last thing I could ever see happening is the House choosing outside its own membership for the Speakership.

As for any motion to vacate, Democrats should vote present. We won on the foreign aid package, so we can keep him in place for now.

I hope the aid to Ukraine is enough until the next Congress takes office because I certainly don't expect another package to pass during this Congress.

[Storr]

"Lauren Boebert, speaking at GOP luncheon in CO, says she doesn’t think Marjorie Taylor Greene will move forward with motion to vacate.

“I think there are enough people who are trying to talk her out of that.”

But, also: “I can’t always guarantee what Marjorie is going to do.”

Boebert says she’s frustrated with Speaker Johnson — she said she’s praying for him — but that she can’t support a motion to vacate because it may mean Hakeem Jeffries gets the gavel"

https://twitter.com/JesseAPaul/status/1782851020592177297

[Antonio the Sixth]

Boebert and MTG reflexively opposing whatever the other is doing at the time has been one of the funniest things about the sad spectacle of the modern congressional GOP.

[Ferguson97]

Boebert and MTG reflexively opposing whatever the other is doing at the time has been one of the funniest things about the sad spectacle of the modern congressional GOP.

It’s kinda funny that they’re thought of as two peas in a pod when by all accounts, they hate each other’s guts.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Boebert and MTG reflexively opposing whatever the other is doing at the time has been one of the funniest things about the sad spectacle of the modern congressional GOP.

It’s kinda funny that they’re thought of as two peas in a pod when by all accounts, they hate each other’s guts.

something something narcissism of small differences, I guess

[Storr]

Lol Marjorie:

"BREAKING — HOUSE DEM LEADERSHIP says they’ll vote to table ⁦@RepMTG's motion to vacate if she offers it."

https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1785311500363583805

[Bernie Derangement Syndrome Haver]

This just makes the fact that Democrats axed McCarthy look silly.

[emailking]

He put Ukraine aid on the floor so I'm good with Dems protecting him from Greene, for now.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This just makes the fact that Democrats axed McCarthy look silly.

Why? It's a night and day difference in how he acted and Johnson did.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, this is reasonable for now. Going forward, Democrats' treatment of Johnson should be based on whether or not he does his job and puts must-pass bills to the floor with no delay or dithering. If he can do that, might as well keep him until January.

[2016]

Yeah, this is reasonable for now. Going forward, Democrats' treatment of Johnson should be based on whether or not he does his job and puts must-pass bills to the floor with no delay or dithering. If he can do that, might as well keep him until January.

There will be more than one MTV. Remember that 112 Republicans voted against Ukraine Aid and I don't think House Democrats do have this many votes.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, this is reasonable for now. Going forward, Democrats' treatment of Johnson should be based on whether or not he does his job and puts must-pass bills to the floor with no delay or dithering. If he can do that, might as well keep him until January.

There will be more than one MTV. Remember that 112 Republicans voted against Ukraine Aid and I don't think House Democrats do have this many votes.

Of course Dems have more than 112 votes to save Johnson if that's what the leadership decides, lol. Democrats are an actual party with discipline, not a clownshow like you guys. If Jeffries says we're backing Johnson, all but 40ish Dems will back Johnson.

[GeorgiaModerate]

This just makes the fact that Democrats axed McCarthy look silly.

Why? It's a night and day difference in how he acted and Johnson did.

Yeah, I've seen comments to the effect that despite their policy differences House Democrats view Johnson as at least trustworthy -- which they emphatically did not feel about Kevin McCarthy.

[Ferguson97]

this is going to piss some people off, but this is the correct decision. Johnson kept up his end of the bargain. Betraying him would make it much more difficult to make a deals like this in the future.

[emailking]

Greene says she will force vote over Speaker Johnson’s ouster next week

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Wednesday she will force a vote over House Speaker Mike Johnson’s ouster next week – a move that comes after Democrats have said they will vote to kill the effort and ensure Johnson doesn’t lose his job.

“I think every member of Congress needs to take that vote and let the chips fall where they may and so next week, I am going to be calling this motion to vacate. Absolutely, calling it,” she said at a news conference.

Greene’s decision puts an end to weeks of speculation over whether she would move forward to trigger the consequential vote. The move escalates pressure on Johnson and sets up a major showdown on the House floor, even though the vote is expected to fail.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/01/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-mike-johnson-vacate/index.html

[President Johnson]

This just makes the fact that Democrats axed McCarthy look silly.

Why? It's a night and day difference in how he acted and Johnson did.

Yeah, though it's interesting Johnson was seen as more right-wing and pro-MAGA. McCarthy was just a shameless opportunist who didn't have a backbone (see his flip flopping January 6).

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

This just makes the fact that Democrats axed McCarthy look silly.

Why? It's a night and day difference in how he acted and Johnson did.

Yeah, though it's interesting Johnson was seen as more right-wing and pro-MAGA. McCarthy was just a shameless opportunist who didn't have a backbone (see his flip flopping January 6).

McCarthy blocked the Jt J6 Commission when Rs were in the minority that's why McCarthy was ousted by 213 Ds Jay Paul remembered that.

That's why Rs lost the 2021 Recall because of McCarthy, why Larry Elder lost, Elder was coming up in the polls but McCarthy block was all outside of Bakersfield was talking about, I was in LA when it happened