Video: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) Says If Speaker Mike Johnson Is Threatened with Ouster for Bringing Forth Ukraine Aid Bill, “I would absolutely vote to table that motion and shut it down”

Earlier today, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) spoke with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. According to Rep. Spanberger, referring to this NY Times story (“Russia has intensified its online efforts to derail military funding for Ukraine in the United States and Europe, largely by using harder-to-trace technologies to amplify arguments for isolationism ahead of the U.S. elections, according to disinformation experts and intelligence assessments”):

• “This aligns completely with what we know to be true of Russian behavior. There is a substantial information detailing how in the runup to the 2016 elections, the Russians endeavored to operate influence campaigns to divide the American people, to create  divisions, to create infighting, in an effort to have an impact on the…conversations related to our 2016 elections. That is well documented. And now, in advance of the 2024 elections, the fact that the Russians would be operating influence efforts to their own benefit in an effort to divide Americans over the issue of our support to Ukraine, is is a clear threat and challenge. The purpose here can be twofold: dividing Americans, creating domestic and political challenges and difficult discourse over issues and lies  created by the Russians. And if they are successful, not only have they succeeded at impacting the thoughts of of the American population, but their goal would be to see us not deliver aid to Ukraine, because the aid that we deliver to Ukraine helps our Ukrainian partners in their ability to defeat Vladimir Putin’s army and this war of horrific Russian aggression. And it is now more important than ever that members of Congress be the responsible adults in the room, explain to our constituents, explain to the American people why it is in our national security interest to continue supporting – along with our partners throughout the world – to continue supporting our Ukrainian allies as they fight their war not just for their own freedom but for the basic principles of democracy that the United States should want to consistently uphold, certainly at home and and with our allies.”
• On Democrats potentially agreeing to protect Speaker Mike Johnson’s job in exchange for Ukraine aid, Rep. Spanberger said:  “If Speaker Johnson brings forth the bill, the National Security Supplemental that would fund our support to Ukraine – which I think is not just an an obligation but is also in our best interest – if Speaker Johnson were to bring this bill forward a bill that received 70 votes in the United States Senate and as result members of his Republican conference seek to oust him, I would absolutely vote to table that motion, because we need him to do his job, which is to bring bills that will pass for a vote. And if he were to bring that bill for a vote and and face a motion to vacate as a result, I would absolutely vote to table that motion and shut it down.”

Good answer. As horrible as Mike Johnson is, the bottom line is that we need to pass Ukraine aid ASAP, and helping Johnson do that is most definitely in our nation’s best interest.