Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, an outspoken Georgia Republican, issued a warning to Democrats that she will introduce a motion to vacate GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson next week.
Greene announced her intentions to call the motion against Johnson during a press conference Wednesday morning. She warned that Democrats, some of whom have suggested they would consider voting to save him, could face political backlash and possible primary challenges if they go through with the move.
"I can't wait to see Democrats go out and support a Republican Speaker and have to go home to their primaries and have to run for Congress again, having supported a Republican speaker—a Christian conservative. I think that will play well," she said.
The Context
Greene introduced an unprivileged motion to vacate against Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, in March after he passed a $1.2 trillion spending package with Democratic support to fund the government.
Her announcement on Wednesday follows weeks of growing frustration among House conservatives, who have expressed disappointment with Johnson over the spending package and for holding a vote on legislation to send aid to Ukraine.
What We Know
Greene announced she would be calling a vote on the motion during a press conference in Washington, D.C.
"I think every member of Congress needs to take that vote and let the chips fall where they may. And so next week, I am going to be calling this motion to vacate. Absolutely calling it," Greene said.
Due to Republicans' slim majority in the House, Johnson can afford only three detractors from his own party without relying on Democrats to keep him in the position. In addition to Greene, GOP Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona said they would back his ouster.
This means that if every member is present, Johnson would need every other Republican to support him to avoid removal.
On Tuesday, House Democratic leadership announced they would vote to table Greene's motion if she called it for a vote.
"From the beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have put people over politics and find bipartisan common ground with traditional Republicans in order to deliver real results," Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar wrote in a statement.
They continued: "At the same time, House Democrats have aggressively pushed back against MAGA extremism. We will continue to do just that."
Views
Johnson responded to Greene in a statement reported by Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman.
"This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country," he said.
In an interview with NewsNation on Wednesday, Johnson said Greene is not "proving to be" a serious lawmaker.
What's Next
It remains unclear how many Democrats will vote to save Johnson.
Representative Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat, wrote in a post to X (formerly Twitter), "I applaud Leader Jeffries's decision to support Speaker Johnson against extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene. By minimizing the "chaos caucus," the House can do more things on a bipartisan basis."
Update 5/1/24, 10:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with background information.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
