Kinzinger suggests Johnson make deal on Ukraine to save Speakership

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) suggested that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) should make a deal on aid to Ukraine to save his Speakership, as the threat of a motion to vacate loomed over Johnson’s head Friday.

“Is she gonna try a motion to vacate? I don’t know,” Kinzinger said on “CNN Newsroom,” in an interview with anchor Jim Acosta, referring to an earlier apparent threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to file a motion to oust Johnson.

“In a way, I think it could be interesting if she does, to see if Mike Johnson just says, ‘OK, fine, that’s delayed,’ because you can delay that motion to vacate. ‘And by the way, since you’re doing that, the next bill I’m putting on the floor before we go to recess, is the Senate foreign aid bill,’” Kinzinger continued. “That would be an interesting reaction, and then the Democrats could frankly come in and save Johnson on a motion to vacate.”

Greene later filed a motion to oust Johnson as Speaker, which came in opposition to his support for a bipartisan spending deal making its way through Congress. The Georgia Republican said she would not trigger a vote to oust Johnson yet.

“Today, I filed a motion to vacate after Speaker Johnson has betrayed our conference and broken our rules,” Greene told reporters on the steps of the Capitol.

She continued: “But this is basically a warning, and it’s time for us to go through the process, take our time, and find a new Speaker of the House that will stand with Republicans in our Republican majority instead of standing with the Democrats.”

The Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package last month that includes $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. However, since the package was sent to the House, Johnson has refused to consider it because it does not include more stringent U.S.-Mexico border provisions. 

Kinzinger also posted similar comments to those he made on CNN on X, the platform formerly known Friday, stating that “Johnson should put the aid package on the floor NOW in exchange for dem votes to save him.”