House Democrats joined with Republicans to block a hardliner attempt to overthrow Speaker Mike Johnson, a rare cross-party alliance formed to reward the GOP leader for help securing US$61 billion in aid for Ukraine.

Yet the speakers’ reliance on partisan opponents to maintain his leadership position leaves Johnson’s political strength in doubt. Democratic leaders haven’t committed to indefinitely supporting him and hardliners can force a new ouster vote at any time.

Eleven Republicans opposed the procedural maneuver Johnson allies used to block a vote on removing the speaker. Overall, the House voted 359 to 43 to block consideration of an ouster.

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the fieriest voices on the Republican Right, forced the vote on ousting Johnson. She has attacked him for months for making compromises with President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats, and vowed to seek his overthrow after the House passed Ukraine aid last month.

House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders announced last week that they would help Johnson block the overthrow attempt, citing the speaker’s support for Ukraine aid. Traditionally, the opposition party doesn’t provide votes to maintain the majority party leader’s control of the House.

Greene has made several demands of Johnson in recent days, including a public pledge to reject future funding for Ukraine, in exchange for backing down from her campaign to depose him.

Late Wednesday, Greene stood in the chamber and announced, suddenly, she was seeking recognition for her motion to remove the speaker.

In a packed chamber, her remarks immediately raised a chorus of boos and other exclamations from both Republicans and Democrats. She then read her lengthy motion.

The Republican House majority is so slender that, if Democrats withhold support for Johnson, just three Republican lawmakers can remove him.

Republicans already toppled their previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy, provoking a bitter succession battle that dragged on for weeks. Another leadership vacancy would risk inflaming GOP divisions just as the party seeks to unify behind an election campaign to retain their House majority and return Donald Trump to the White House.

  - Bloomberg