Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has made it clear to Republicans what they want in exchange for sitting out the next Speaker of the House vote.
House Democratic leadership Monday night expressed private openness to helping Emmer ascend to the speakership. Democrats wouldn’t mind seeing Emmer lead the chamber, given he voted to certify the 2020 election.
House Democrats tell us they find Emmer the least objectionable GOP speaker candidate. They’d be open to helping him by sitting the vote out if they get private assurances that Emmer will fund the government at levels negotiated in the debt-limit deal and put a Ukraine-plus-Israel aid bill on the floor.
Jeffries has said that Democrats aren’t election deniers. House Democrats aren’t looking to overturn the 2022 election and install Jeffries as Speaker. Republicans are free to vote for Jeffries, but Democrats aren’t going to try to overturn the midterm election.
Leader Jeffries has also said that Democrats wish to be reasonable in their requests.
Democrats will never vote for a Republican Speaker nominee. Jeffries is their nominee, and they will stick with him. What Democrats are willing to do is sit the vote out and negate the power of the MAGA chaos conference. They will only do this if Republicans nominate Emmer, and Republicans agree to their conditions of no more government shutdowns and aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Emmer saw what happened to Kevin McCarthy when he worked with Democrats, so he has no interest in a deal, but this is the best offer that House Republicans are going to get.
The next option is a coalition government where House Democrats and Republicans share power. Democrats would be the most powerful majority in the recent history of the House, and Republicans are getting worried that some of their members are getting more open to a coalition government.
House Republicans have a decision to make. Either they can agree on a Speaker, or they will have to give Democrats a little or give Democrats a lot.
Leader Jeffries has waited, but now Democrats are beginning to make their move.
