Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has filed a motion to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership, amid anger about the government funding bill. The House would have to consider Greene’s motion within two legislative days after she is recognized. The chamber heads to recess for two weeks on Friday afternoon.
Quick Read
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) filed a motion to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) due to his support for a bipartisan spending deal.
- The motion to vacate the chair, a move previously used against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was filed as the House passed a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
- It’s uncertain if Greene’s motion is privileged and if it will be brought to the floor for a vote.
- Greene criticized Johnson on Steve Bannon’s podcast for conceding too much to President Biden and the Democrats in funding negotiations.
- The House is set to approve a $1.2 trillion funding package, which Johnson endorsed after extensive negotiations.
- Johnson claims conservative victories in the package, but faces backlash from House conservatives accusing him of favoring Democratic interests.
- Greene’s motion’s success is uncertain, as some Democrats, appreciative of Johnson’s bipartisan efforts, might oppose it.
The Associated Press has the story:
Marjorie Taylor Greene files motion to oust Speaker Johnson over spending bill
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has filed a motion to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from power over his endorsement of a bipartisan spending deal that’s expected to pass through Congress this week. Greene filed a motion to vacate the chair, the same procedural move that led to the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October, according to a source familiar with the situation.
She did so as the House voted to pass the spending bill in order to prevent a partial shutdown of the government this weekend. It was no immediately clear if Greene’s motion was privileged and if it would be called to the floor on Friday.
Speaker Johnson is at risk of being ousted after hard-right Greene filed a “motion to vacate” on Friday in the middle of a House vote on a $1.2 trillion package to keep the government open.
It’s the same political dynamic that removed the last Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, just five months ago when far-right conservatives revolted over his compromise with Democrats to prevent a federal shutdown. But this one faces steeper odds with less GOP support.
The House is scheduled to leave town for a two-week spring recess at the end of Friday’s session, and it’s doubtful any vote on removing Johnson, of Louisiana, would be imminent.
“Speaker Johnson always listens to the concerns of members but is focused on governing,” spokesman Raj Shah said. “He will continue to push conservative legislation that secures our border, strengthens our national defense and demonstrates how we’ll grow our majority.”
The House would have to consider Greene’s motion within two legislative days after she is recognized. The chamber is heading for a two-week recess, and Greene told reporters she would not call up the resolution on Friday, which means the clock to force a vote has not started.
Appearing on Steve Bannon’s podcast earlier Friday morning, Greene accused Johnson of giving too much away to President Biden and Democrats in the course of the government funding negotiations. She suggested she was seriously weighing a move to file a motion to vacate the Speakership.
“We are making that decision on a minute-by-minute basis today, Steve, and I think you can stay tuned,” she told Bannon.
Pressed by Bannon if she’ll lead the charge in an effort to oust Johnson, Greene again suggested a motion to vacate might be imminent.
“We are going to be making decisions on a minute-by-minute basis today, and I urge you to watch and see what happens,” she said.
The House is poised to approve a $1.2 trillion government funding package, known as a minibus, that combines the final six appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024. Johnson had endorsed the package earlier in the week after a marathon round of negotiations between congressional leaders in Congress and the White House.
Johnson has claimed a number of victories for conservatives in the package, while acknowledging that the nature of the divided powers in Washington meant Republicans were not able to secure everything they wanted.
That argument has fallen short with House conservatives, who are accusing the Speaker of giving away the store to the Democrats, with too little to show for his own party.
“This is the worst possible scenario for Republicans, and it signals to the entire country that Republicans are not in control of the House of Representatives, the Democrats are. And that instead of Mike Johnson and Republicans being in control of the Speaker, Chuck Schumer is in control,” Greene told Bannon.
It’s unclear if Grene would find enough support to remove Johnson from power through a motion to vacate. That’s because a number of Democrats — who had voted unanimously in support of McCarthy’s removal — say they would help to rescue Johnson if he continues to cut bipartisan deals with Biden on issues like government funding and Ukraine aid.
Johnson has refused to consider a Senate-passed foreign aid package, which includes billions of dollars for Ukraine, but is vowing to work on a House version of the legislation when Congress returns to Washington in the middle of next month after a long holiday recess.
