Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York has come out in support of Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, saying he shouldn’t face punishment for “doing the right thing” despite their political differences.
Nadler’s comments on Saturday echoed the sentiment of Democratic leadership, which has offered to help Johnson retain his position if a motion to remove him gains traction.
The motion, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia in March, aims to oust Johnson from his speakership. However, Nadler expressed skepticism that Greene would follow through on her threat to bring the resolution to the floor next week. “I suspect that she won’t actually carry through on the threat,” Nadler said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation” with Rev.
Speaker Mike Johnson (Credits: KGET.com)
Al Sharpton. “But we are right that if she does, we should save him. Because as much as we disagree with him on almost everything, we can’t permit him to be punished for doing the right thing – voting for the Ukraine aid, which is what they want to punish him for.”
Johnson’s decision to bring Ukraine aid to the floor, which passed with bipartisan support, has earned him praise from Democrats. They have vowed to assist in saving his speakership, with some calling it a “one-time opportunity.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (Credits: Yahoo News Canada)
However, Greene’s effort has gained support from two other GOP members, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona. Other hard-right members have criticized Johnson’s bipartisan approach but have declined to support the motion to remove him.
Interestingly, opposition to Greene’s motion has also come from the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers have urged Congress to focus on more pressing priorities and for Republicans to unite ahead of the November elections.
This development highlights the difficult political dynamics at play, with Democrats and Republicans finding common ground in their support for Speaker Johnson despite their ideological differences.
