Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) of the United States moved to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-GA) following weeks of conjecture.
Greene had made a suggestion that she would file a move to remove herself from the chair, which would free up the Speakership if the motion was filed by just one member. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) removed the rule at first, but in 2023, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reinstated it as part of a deal to keep his job. McCarthy was finally removed from office last year under this criterion.
The congresswoman from Georgia has cited Johnson’s inability to negotiate a significant border security measure prior to giving in to a $60 billion foreign aid package that was supported by Democratic leaders and President Biden. In the end, the package was approved with “yes” votes from all Democrats and half of the Republican conference.
“This is a Chuck Schumer House bill…a disaster,” Greene told Steve Bannon after the bill was passed. “This is something that every single Republican voter in the country is screaming against. This takes away every single ounce of strength and leverage that the House of Representatives have.”
But, Johnson’s job is safe for the time being because the House acted swiftly to reject Greene’s motion. With the support of Democrats, a later move to table Greene’s motion was successful, succeeding by a vote of 359 to 43.
Greene voiced her concerns during multiple meetings earlier this week with Johnson and U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY). When Greene submitted her motion, the House was about to adjourn, and her filing immediately imposed a two-day legislative clock on GOP leaders so they could vote.
Many House Republicans thought Greene’s issues had been addressed during the discussions, therefore it is said that the action caught them off guard.
“I was shocked,” U.S. Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) told CNN.
