Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is taking another step towards forcing a vote that could remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
The duo’s escalation follows House Democrat leadership’s Tuesday endorsement of Johnson, in which they announced their intent to table any motion to vacate. The Democrat statement praised Johnson for partnering with a “bipartisan coalition” of President Biden and “traditional Republicans” to “[push] back against MAGA extremism” – a characterization of Johnson unlikely to find favor with Donald Trump – and unleash tens of billions in aid to Ukraine and Gaza.
Massie said he and Greene will lay out Wednesday how the Democrat endorsement “affects the motion to vacate the uniparty Speaker.”
Greene and Massie have echoed conservative complaints – that extend beyond the most rightward flank of the House Republican Conference – that Johnson has abandoned his earlier pledges and instead advanced, even fought for, President Joe Biden and Democrats’ agenda.
In only six months as Speaker, Johnson rammed through a multi-trillion dollar two-part ominbus spending bill that funded almost all Biden’s priorities, flip-flopped to kill a requirement for intelligence agencies to obtain a warrant before surveilling Americans, and – perhaps most painful for conservatives – surrendered on a months-long pledge never to move foreign aid before taking action on border security.
Ensuring the Foreign Surveillance Act passed without a warrant requirement and gifting tens of billions in aid to Ukraine were perhaps Biden’s greatest priorities of the second half of his term. Johnson delivered Biden his desired outcome on both the warrant requirement – in which Johnson was the deciding vote – and Ukraine funding over the objections of a majority of his own party.
Even before Johnson caved on Ukraine funding, Republicans have openly speculated about what deal Johnson could have made with Democrats to save his speakership from Republicans increasingly frustrated with his advancement of a Democrat agenda.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes (D-NY) said Tuesday that while Johnson’s surrender on Ukraine aid earned him goodwill with Democrats, they should insist for more – a sentiment expressed by other Democrats in public and private.
“I don’t think we give these things for free,” she said. “I do think that the vote on Ukraine aid has been helpful to many members of this caucus,” continuing, “This is an important moment for Democrats to use this opportunity to assert our priorities.”
Greene and Massie huddled on the House floor with other Republican lawmakers Tuesday after a round of votes concluded for around a half hour before sliding out a side door past reporters and into the House Parliamentarian’s office. They mostly ignored reporter inquiries after exiting ten minutes later, with Greene saying simply “Plans are still developing.”
They announced their upcoming press conference soon after.
“We are passing the Democratic agenda each and every day that we’re here,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) lamented. “We have a slim majority in the House, and it’s — everything’s being passed overwhelmingly with Democrat support. So it makes no difference to me if it’s Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker or Mike Johnson.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), among the conservatives most publicly critical of Johnson, suggested that Johnson has already given away the farm, and that removing him now with few marquee legislative items left this year might achieve little.
“We’ve been moving legislation with a significant amount of Democrat votes,” he said, but “We’ve already moved most of the things. So now we’re just trying to figure out as a family how we move forward.”
Greene and Massie’s plan is unknown for now.
If they force a vote, that vote must take place within two legislative days. But Johnson, with Democrat leadership support in the bag for now, is likely to immediately force a vote to table the motion.
Yet there is no limit to how many times Greene – or any other lawmaker – can force a motion to vacate vote. Other lawmakers would have little recourse other than a formal censure.
Greene is unlikely to be deterred by the threat of a censure. And making things as uncomfortable as possible for Johnson – and the Republican and Democrat coalition supporting him – until he loses support or surrenders the gavel on his own accord might be a part of her calculus.
However Greene and Massie proceed, their stand will spur House Republicans to do some soul searching to determine why they are even in Washington and who best can lead them towards their professed legislative goals – now, and after the election.
“At the end of the day, the legislation that we’ve been moving forward is not what our folks sent us here to do.” Roy said. “So now we’ve got to figure out, what does that mean between now and November?”
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
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