Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has introduced a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Johnson, after criticising his $1.2 trillion spending package and posting online: "I'm done with this one."
On Friday, a 286-134 House vote approved the package—led by Johnson—which will avert a government shutdown, just hours before several federal agencies' funding was set to expire.
But the package has received backlash from Republicans, most notably Greene, who described it as "the worst possible scenario for Republicans" during an appearance on Steve Bannon's conservative podcast War Room, minutes before the proposal reached the House floor.
The motion filed by Greene is the first step in potentially removing Johnson from office. In 2023, Rep. Matt Gaetz filed the same motion to remove then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. If privilege is recognized then after introduction, a lawmaker must request a vote on the resolution, which would force Johnson to call a vote within two legislative days. A simple majority is required for it to pass, in which case the speaker is removed immediately.
However, an official noted that Greene did not file the resolution as privileged, meaning it cannot be considered until after Congress' two-week recess.
When approached for comment, Raj Shah, Johnson's deputy chief of staff, told Newsweek: "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."
Speaking about the spending package, Greene told Bannon: "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 the Republicans being in control of the speaker, Chuck Schumer is in control."
As the War Room showed footage of migrants attempting to enter the United States via the Texas-Mexico border, Greene said the approval of this bill "takes away every single ounce of strength and leverage the House of Representative has in this invasion that is happening at our border," adding that "this will be the fault of Mike Johnson for allowing this bill to happen and not fighting and defending our southern border."
Earlier, on Thursday night, the Georgia Republican posted on X, formerly Twitter, "We need a Speaker of the House who will fight to secure America's border at all cost!"
Johnson has praised the package for its increased defense and border security spending compared with fiscal year 2023. And in a statement after it was approved by the House, he said: "House Republicans achieved conservative policy wins, rejected extreme Democrat proposals, and imposed substantial cuts while significantly strengthening national defense."
The package spans 1,012 pages and includes six bills seeking to provide funding for several government departments including the Treasury, Defense, State, and Homeland Security.
If it goes on to be approved by the Senate and then President Joe Biden, it would remove the possibility of a government shutdown until the next fiscal year, starting on October 1. Biden has indicated his support for the package. Earlier in March, a smaller, $460 billion package passed, averting a government shutdown.
Update 03/22/24, 1:53 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from Raj Shah and to clarify that Greene's resolution was not filed as privileged.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
