Pelosi Says Trump Is Spineless, Is She Right?

Speaker Johnson On His Last Leg?

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) recently made clear that Democrats will not come to Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) rescue if he fails to hold onto his position when the Speaker’s vote occurs again in January. Jeffries argued that Johnson’s inability to maintain a bipartisan approach—especially concerning government funding—will lead to his downfall, and that Democrats will not “save” him from the consequences of his own party’s divisions.

In an interview on Inside with Jen Psaki, Jeffries explained that the collapse of the bipartisan government funding agreement was a major setback for Johnson. He said, “I think that’s a real risk” when asked whether Johnson’s Speakership is in jeopardy. He went on to emphasize that Democrats would not be stepping in to support either Johnson or the far-right faction of the Republican Party, often referred to as “extreme MAGA Republicans.” According to Jeffries, this is due to the breach of an agreement that Democrats had worked hard on, one which reflected priorities that benefited all Americans.

The government funding package, which passed just hours before the shutdown deadline, was far from a perfect solution. While most Democrats and a majority of Republicans supported it, many Democrats were dissatisfied with the removal of key provisions from an earlier, bipartisan deal. This compromise package—Johnson’s fourth attempt to prevent a shutdown—was meant to keep the government running but did not fulfill some important policy goals for the left.

Jeffries noted that there were still several issues to address, including funding for community health centers, a policy Republicans walked away from despite its broad benefits across the nation. “We’re going to have to continue working on these issues in the coming weeks and months,” he said, stressing that the short-term resolution would expire in March. With the next few months poised to be full of political battles, Jeffries made it clear that the path forward for Speaker Johnson is fraught with challenges, and no help will be coming from Democrats.