House Republicans are making it nearly impossible for Democrats to oust the speaker of the House during the 119th Congress. The 36-page rules package that will govern the chamber’s operations for the next two years makes clear that any motion to remove the speaker needs to come from a Republican.
The new rules specifically state that a privileged motion to vacate must be offered by a member of the majority party who is joined by eight co-sponsors, also in the majority party.
Previously, any single member could trigger this action. That’s what former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., did to then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in 2023, which caused the House to shut down for three weeks as Republicans worked to elect their new leader.
Democrats aren’t happy about the new rule and say it will shield Johnson from accountability to the entire chamber.
“This makes it clear that they have no intention of working together to find common ground. Instead of electing a Speaker of the House, they have decided to elect a Speaker of the Republican Conference—held hostage by their most extreme members,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said in a statement.
McGovern is the top Democrat on the rules committee and added, “This election was close, and Republicans lost seats. The American people want us to work together.”
This will disincentivize Democrats from saving Johnson if a group of nine or more Republicans file to remove him. In May, Democrats helped him stay in power after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tried to remove him.
Just before Christmas, Democrats said they would not help him again after he backtracked on a previously agreed spending bill and brought forward a proposal from President-elect Donald Trump, which ultimately failed. The rules package cannot be approved until the speaker is elected.
The vote is Friday, Jan. 3, at noon, and Johnson needs a majority to win the gavel. There are enough Republicans who say they either will not or may not support him to keep him from winning a majority.
