‘No Way’ Democrats Will Help Oust Mike Johnson, Florida Rep. Says

Rep. Jared Moskowitz listens during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, on July 26, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

A moderate Florida House Democrat said Sunday that there is “no way” his party is going to help Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if the Georgia republican forces a vote to vacate the speakership for the second time this term.

During an appearance Sunday, April 28, on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, the Florida Democrat, said Ms. Greene is unlikely to get support from Democrats this time, after they helped a handful of Republicans oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October.

“I mean, look, obviously we’ll wait for our Leader Jeffries to figure out that solution,” Mr. Moskowitz said in response to what he thought about the effort to remove Mr. Johnson. “But I’ve said this before, and I think there are other members who feel the same way: The idea of allowing Marjorie Taylor Greene, someone who literally, you know, would let the world burn, you know, with her isolationist foreign policy, who has talked about states seceding from the union, right?

“The idea of letting her sit in the people’s house, in the well of Congress, giving a speech, removing any Speaker and having that powerful moment. There is just no way Democrats are going to let her do that. I’m not going to let her do that.”

Mr. Moskowitz explained that the ultimate decision would be up to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) regarding whether the party would support Mr. Johnson if it came to a vote.

“We won’t even let her name a post office,” Mr. Moskowitz continued. “We’re not going to let her take out the Speaker.”

Other Democrats Hint at Supporting Johnson

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) became the first member of his party earlier this month to publicly say he would support House Speaker Johnson if a GOP motion to vacate the seat moves forward.

Ms. Greene filed a motion to vacate last month after Mr. Johnson supported a resolution that the House passed to avoid a partial government shutdown.

Currently, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) have publicly said they would back Ms. Greene’s move, although more could soon join.

Anger against Mr. Johnson’s leadership has grown in recent days after the House of Representatives passed a package of controversial foreign aid and geopolitical security legislation.

The $95 billion package included foreign assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. It also contained a bill that could lead to TikTok being banned, bundled with legislation that allows for the seizure of assets owned by Russian oligarchs.

The most controversial of these bills was a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, which ultimately passed the House in a broad bipartisan 311–112 vote. A majority of the House Republican Conference opposed the legislation.

Mr. Khanna, who describes himself as a “progressive Democrat,” said that Mr. Johnson needs “credit” for the aid package, adding that he would vote to shelve a motion to vacate him, a move that would essentially keep the motion to remove him in limbo.

Minority Leader Jeffries hinted in a press conference earlier this month that his party would be willing to help Mr. Johnson keep the speaker’s gavel, but has not given a definitive answer either way.

“If the speaker will do the right thing and allow the House to have an up or down vote on the national security bill, I believe that there are a reasonable number of Democrats who would not want to see the speaker fall,” he said.

Moskowitz on Florida in 2024

Mr. Moskowitz also said he believes Florida is in play in 2024 because of a ballot initiative to protect some abortion rights.

“I think it is in play because of the ballot initiatives,” he said on the MSNBC show Sunday. “Make no mistake about it, without those ballot initiatives, I don’t think Florida is in play. Florida’s now a red state. Four years ago, Democrats had a 200,000 voter difference more registered—now it’s 900,000. Republicans have invested a ton of money.”

Mr. Moskowitz went on to say that he did not understand who Florida Republicans were attempting to appeal to when they passed a six-week ban on abortions.

“They made a mistake with the six-week ban,” he said. “They are to the right of Donald Trump on the six-week ban. Who are they appealing to? The flat earthers? I don’t understand who that was for, the six-week ban.”

He said Florida and Arizona had a lot in common regarding state policies on abortion, referencing a judge’s controversial decision earlier this month that ruled that the state could enforce the 1864 legislation, which contains an exemption only for cases in which the mother’s life is in danger.

“What people in Florida need to understand is they have a choice,” Mr. Moskowitz added. “It’s either six weeks, because the court said that was okay, unless they vote for the constitutional amendment. So, this is Florida’s chance to get rid of a six-week abortion ban, which is an all out ban, let’s just be clear.”

Ms. Greene has not yet commented on Mr. Moskowitz’s comments.