'It will not succeed': House Dems say they'll kill motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson

WASHINGTON – Democrats are vowing to rescue House Speaker Mike Johnson from an ouster threat, throwing the embattled Republican speaker a lifeline as he faces revolt from his party's right flank.

“At this moment, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction. We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass. and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said in a joint statement on Tuesday morning.

Johnson is currently facing an existential threat to his speakership led by conservative rabble rouser Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who is seeking to force the speaker out from his post for working with Democrats to pass legislation, including Ukraine aid.

Though Johnson has been under heavy fire from conservatives, lawmakers have become skeptical that Greene would call up a motion to vacate against the speaker, a procedural vote that if passed, would oust Johnson.

Democrats have long signaled they were willing to save Johnson for passing Ukraine aid. The official statement from Democratic leadership is a big boost to Johnson as he seeks to stave off right-wing anger.

Though it’s not clear if Greene will move to force the lower chamber to vote on Johnson’s fate, GOP lawmakers have grown skeptical that she would bring it up for a vote since she announced her plans more than a month ago.

Notably, Greene was absent from the Capitol on Monday night when lawmakers returned to Washington from a week-long recess.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House Democrats say they'll save Speaker Johnson from motion to vacate