In Washington, the hardest thing to do is taking a stand against the most extreme voices in your own party.
But that’s exactly what two very different leaders from different parties – House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator John Fetterman – are doing.
They deserve the respect of the entire No Labels community for their courage.
For months, far-right members of the Republican party – like Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene – have threatened to remove Johnson as speaker if he put forth legislation to get critical aid to America’s allies in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. But Johnson just put his country before his party by putting these bills on the floor over the weekend. Each passed with well over 70% support, sending a powerful message to America’s allies and adversaries that we won’t retreat into dangerous isolationism.
Rep. Taylor-Greene isn’t happy and is accusing Johnson of “surrender.” She is now demanding Johnson resign or else she’ll move to pull down his Speakership with the same “motion to vacate” tool that undid the previous Speaker, Kevin McCarthy.
The same goes for Senator John Fetterman, who is also taking a notable stand for what’s right over the objections of the left-wing of his party. At a moment when Jews are being attacked on America’s college campuses, Senator Fetterman has had the moral clarity to denounce this antisemitism and to defend the beleaguered nation of Israel.
While extreme voices like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez yesterday praised “the leadership of those peaceful student-led protests on campuses like Columbia, Yale, Berkeley,” Senator Fetterman stated plainly what’s really happening. He described the conduct of the protesters as “dangerous” and “unconscionable” and he said the president of Columbia needs to do her job to protect Jewish students or resign.
Senator Fetterman has been harassed by protesters and recently had several staff leave because of his outspoken support for Israel. But he is standing strong and the No Labels community should stand with him too by going to his Facebook page and thanking him for his passionate defense of Jews in America and around the world.
In this dangerously divided moment in America, it’s important to recognize courageous leadership wherever we find it. Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator John Fetterman are showing what it means to lead, and the entire No Labels community thanks them for it.
