Topline
Congress will vote within the next two legislative days whether to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Wednesday made good on her promise to trigger the process for ousting Johnson—an effort that’s all but certain to fail as Johnson has bipartisan support among House members.
Key Facts
Greene filed the “privileged” motion—meaning the House has two legislative days to act on it—after vowing last week to force the vote the following week.
Her motion was met with loud boos from both sides of the aisle.
Greene filed an initial motion to vacate in March, but she did not do so as “privileged,” meaning there was no timeline to vote.
She said last week she would force a vote in response to Democratic House leaders releasing a statement vowing to vote against Johnson’s ouster.
What To Watch For
The House could vote to table the motion, avoiding a formal vote on the House floor altogether.
Key Background
Greene supported the election of Johnson as speaker following the historic ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last year. Greene was an ally to McCarthy and opposed the revolt against him brought by a small coalition of hard-right lawmakers who leveraged Republicans’ slim majority in the House to force McCarthy out. Greene has expressed anger at Johnson over bills he has pushed through the House with Democrats’ support, including the fiscal year 2024 budget and, more recently, the $95 billion foreign aid package that included $61 billion in funding for Ukraine, which Greene staunchly opposes. Multiple Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have said they will vote to save Johnson from an ouster, and only two other Republicans, Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Tom Massie, R-Ky., back Greene’s effort.
Crucial Quote
“Vacating the chair right now would be a dangerous gambit,” Johnson said Friday on SiriusXM’s “The Laura Coates Show,” expressing confidence the removal effort would fail. “We’ve got hot wars everywhere . . . we’ve got challenges here at home, unrest on college campuses, an open border, all the rest.”
Further Reading
Marjorie Taylor Greene Will Push GOP Speaker Johnson’s Ouster Next Week (Forbes)
Marjorie Taylor Green Files Motion To Oust Speaker Mike Johnson Over Funding Bill (Forbes)
