Greene Moves to Force Vote on Ousting Speaker – Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has initiated a motion to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his position, initiating a crucial vote of confidence in his leadership. This move comes amidst conservative dissatisfaction with the Louisiana Republican’s facilitation of a $1.2 trillion government funding deal, largely supported by Democratic votes.
While Greene’s efforts to oust Johnson may not ultimately prevail, her determination to hold him accountable for the spending agreement with Democrats remains evident. “This is a betrayal of the American people. This is a betrayal of Republican voters,” Greene said after the funding package passed. “The clock has started. It’s time for our conference to pick a new speaker.”
Greene’s move immediately set corners of the Republican Party on edge: A presidential election and a fight for congressional control looms in November, and the last thing many in the GOP want is another internal firefight. Congress is now heading into a two-week recess sure to be dominated by questions of whether Johnson can hold on to the gavel, particularly in a chamber where the GOP holds just a two-vote majority.
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Many House conservatives are angry about Johnson’s recent tendency to lean on a huge swath of Democrats to pass spending bills. But most have indicated they won’t go as far as Greene, at the moment. No other Republicans have publicly committed to support ousting Johnson yet. And there are early signs that Democrats are open to lending Johnson a hand, though they did not do the same for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
One Democratic lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, predicted some in the caucus would protect Johnson and “if we get some Ukraine aid package, that might be part of a deal.” This poses a challenging decision for the speaker, as bringing a vote on Ukraine aid to the floor could exacerbate internal divisions within the GOP.
However, it could also garner support from additional Democratic allies, whom Johnson may require to bolster his position. Nevertheless, Johnson is publicly conveying confidence and appears unperturbed by the challenges to his leadership. “Speaker Johnson always listens to the concerns of members, but is focused on governing.”
“He will continue to push conservative legislation that secures our border, strengthens our national defense and demonstrates how we’ll grow our majority,” said Raj Shah, a spokesperson for Johnson. Greene, who backed Johnson’s election as speaker in October, is among several members on the conservative side of the party who have openly criticized his leadership in the past few weeks.
Earlier on Friday, she suggested that she was contemplating a move to prompt a vote for his removal. However, the timing of such a vote remains uncertain. Despite Greene’s assertion to reporters on Friday that she intends to initiate a vote to remove Johnson from his position, she repeatedly declined to specify when this action would take place.
She emphasized her reluctance to plunge the House into “chaos” and expressed a desire to allow ample time for discussions regarding potential successors to Johnson. “I’m not saying that it won’t happen in two weeks, or it won’t happen in a month, or who knows when,” she said. She added that she believes GOP voters do not “want to see a Republican speaker that’s held in place by Democrats.”
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Had Greene proceeded to formally present her resolution on Friday to attempt the removal of Johnson, the Louisiana Republican would have been obligated to schedule a vote within 48 hours. However, Greene refrained from initiating her resolution, allowing Johnson to maintain his position. With the House scheduled to adjourn for a two-week break on Friday, the timing of Greene’s potential action remains uncertain.
If Greene manages to advance the vote, Johnson stands a better chance of retaining his position compared to McCarthy. Despite growing concerns among conservatives, several Republicans dampened enthusiasm for the effort following Greene’s initial move.
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, one of the eight GOP lawmakers who voted to fire McCarthy, said Friday he had “no idea” what Greene was doing and would not support her effort. He predicted “if we did it today, we’d just elect Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.” “I’m not going to question her decision,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who had prompted the vote to boot McCarthy in October. “I’m just not ready to support a motion to vacate.”
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Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), another of the eight who opposed McCarthy, also said she would vote no on firing Johnson. But Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), another frustrated conservative, declined to tip his hand and said only: “We’ll see.” Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) refrained from disclosing his intentions, maintaining his criticism of Johnson’s approach to government funding, a stance he has vocally upheld.
In the event that all Democrats support Minority Leader Jeffries as speaker during a vote to remove Johnson, assuming full attendance in the House, Johnson could only afford to lose two Republican votes if he aims to retain his position. However, Representative Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) stated his opposition to removing Johnson, indicating potential bipartisan support for the speaker against Greene’s initiative.
Representative Eric Burlison from Missouri, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who supported McCarthy, expressed uncertainty regarding his potential vote on a “motion to vacate,” should it be brought to the floor. However, he acknowledged the rationale behind Greene’s decision to file the motion.
