Illinois
Illinois Democrat: Speaker Johnson ‘should not be punished for doing the right thing’ on Ukraine
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said on Tuesday he does not think Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) should be ousted from his position for “doing the right thing” and letting Ukraine aid to the floor for a vote.
Krishnamoorthi also predicted, in an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta, that enough Democrats would vote to save the speaker if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-Ga.) followed through on her threat to force a vote on a motion to vacate.
“Look, if Speaker Johnson brings Ukraine aid to the floor and other aid packages to the floor and does the right thing – and then Marjorie Taylor Greene seeks to remove him or moves to remove him – I think that Democrats would join in a motion to kill such a maneuver,” Krishnamoorthi said.
“Because he should not be punished for doing the right thing,” he added.
Krishnamoorthi’s remarks come on the heels of other Democrats similarly signaling an openness to vote to save Johnson if Greene tries to oust him.
Greene filed a motion to vacate in late March, shortly before lawmakers returned home to their districts for a two-week holiday recess.
The measure did not force an immediate vote on Johnson’s hypothetical removal, but Greene, throughout the recess period, has continued to threaten to force an ouster vote. She has warned Johnson explicitly against letting Ukraine aid come to the floor for a vote.
Krishnamoorthi said on Tuesday he was not sure Greene would ultimately decide to force an ouster vote, noting some Republicans have indicated they did not have an appetite for another Speakership battle.
“It could,” he said, when asked about the likelihood of Greene forcing a vote on the motion to vacate. “Although very interestingly – among my Republican colleagues, especially moderates and others – they feel that there isn’t a lot of support for her motion, and therefore she may not make it.”
“But all that being said, we should be prepared for anything. And we’ve seen this movie before. And so, you know, we’ll be, I think, not surprised if it happens, but I’m hoping that if he does the right thing, he won’t be punished for doing that,” Krishnamoorthi said.
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The Chicago Bears released a statement on Wednesday after Illinois legislators took a step forward with keeping the team in the state.
Shortly after the bill passed out of a House committee 15-5 and then was passed again by the full House, the Bears said the bill is not enough for them.
“We welcome the progress made on the House’s version of the mega project bill; however, additional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project. We support Illinois leaders as they determine the path forward to making the essential changes to the mega project bill and aligning on infrastructure funding,” the team said in a statement.
The vote on Wednesday came after lawmakers spent weeks working to address concerns and criticism that the bill provided incentives to the team to leave Chicago and surrounding potential revenue shortfalls to area schools if the stadium is built in Arlington Heights.
Despite the team’s dissatisfaction, the megaprojects bill, which would allow the Bears to negotiate property tax payments directly with the Village of Arlington Heights, is headed now to the Senate.
A key piece of legislation designed to keep the Chicago Bears’ stadium project in Illinois is being weighed, and Rose Schmidt has details on what’s in it.
That said, the bill’s lead Senate sponsor State Sen. Bill Cunningham told NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern that legislators “feel no pressure to take a vote next week” when the Senate returns on Tuesday.
“We will work this bill like any other bill,” Cunningham said.
Though the team is not satisfied with the deal, it seems Illinois Governor Pritzker is.
“Governor Pritzker has been clear and consistent for years that the Bears should remain in Illinois, and that any legislation needs to protect taxpayers. Throughout the past few months, the Governor’s Office brought team leadership, local officials, and legislative partners to the table to craft a deal around public infrastructure improvements, property tax fairness, and affordability measures. Today is an important step, and the Governor’s Office looks forward to working with the Illinois General Assembly to advance a bill that reflects our shared priorities,” Pritzker’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.
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