House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes to celebrate the Democrats’ recent victories in the House, which led to them taking control from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Jeffries’ comments came after three significant wins for the Democrats in the Johnson-led House, providing much-needed support for President Joe Biden.
The victories also prompted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to announce her plans to push for a vote to remove Johnson from his position as Speaker. Despite this, Jeffries and his leadership team expressed their support for Johnson in late April, commending him for his work with a bipartisan coalition to address various issues and provide aid to Ukraine and Gaza.
Jeffries emphasized that even though the Democrats are the minority party, they have been governing effectively due to their ability to provide the majority of votes needed to pass legislation. CBS’s Norah O’Donnell echoed this sentiment by stating that House Republicans are merely a majority in name only.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) criticized Johnson’s actions as “three betrayals,” pointing to decisions on appropriations bills, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and Ukraine aid. Despite this criticism, Johnson proceeded with passing legislation that was not supported by the majority of House Republicans, including a National Defense Authorization Act.
Greene supported Jeffries’ claims and hinted at the possibility of triggering a vote to remove Johnson from his role as Speaker. It is expected that Johnson will call for a motion to table the vote if Greene moves forward with her plan.
Overall, the ongoing power struggle between Jeffries and Johnson continues in the House, with Greene and other Republicans questioning Johnson’s leadership decisions.
