Illinois Democrat: Speaker Johnson ‘should not be punished for doing the right thing’ on Ukraine

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said Tuesday he does not think Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) should be ousted from his position for “doing the right thing” by letting Ukraine aid to the floor for a vote.

Krishnamoorthi also predicted, in an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta, that enough Democrats would vote to save the Speaker if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) followed through on her threat to force a vote on a motion to vacate.

“Look, if Speaker Johnson brings Ukraine aid to the floor and other aid packages to the floor and does the right thing — and then Marjorie Taylor Greene seeks to remove him or moves to remove him — I think that Democrats would join in a motion to kill such a maneuver,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“Because he should not be punished for doing the right thing,” he added.

Krishnamoorthi’s remarks come on the heels of other Democrats similarly signaling an openness to vote to save Johnson if Greene tries to oust him.

Greene filed a motion to vacate in late March, shortly before lawmakers returned home to their districts for a two-week holiday recess.

The measure did not force an immediate vote on Johnson’s hypothetical removal, but Greene, throughout the recess period, has continued to threaten to force an ouster vote. She has warned Johnson explicitly against bringing Ukraine aid to the floor for a vote.

Krishnamoorthi said Tuesday he was not sure Greene would ultimately decide to force an ouster vote, noting some Republicans have indicated they did not have an appetite for another Speakership battle.

“It could,” he said, when asked about the likelihood of Greene forcing a vote on the motion to vacate. “Although very interestingly — among my Republican colleagues, especially moderates and others — they feel that there isn’t a lot of support for her motion, and therefore she may not make it.”

“But all that being said, we should be prepared for anything. And we’ve seen this movie before. And so, you know, we’ll be, I think, not surprised if it happens, but I’m hoping that if he does the right thing, he won’t be punished for doing that,” Krishnamoorthi said.