Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to force a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson due to his reliance on Democrats to pass legislation and his decision to provide funding for Ukraine, which Greene opposes. Greene, along with Reps. Thomas Massie and Paul Gosar, have been pushing for a vote to oust Johnson, hoping that Republicans would support their cause or that Johnson would resign. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House, and if the three GOP votes against Johnson remain, he will need Democratic votes to save his speakership.
House Democratic leadership announced that they would block the effort to remove Johnson, not because they support him, but because they want to move forward and not let Greene dictate the schedule. Johnson has stated that the motion to remove him is wrong and that he is focused on doing what is best for the country. Greene has criticized Johnson, accusing him of working for Democrats. Massie has predicted that Johnson will lose more votes than former Speaker Kevin McCarthy did in a similar revolt. So far, no other Republicans have publicly supported the push to remove Johnson.
Some Republicans, like Rep. Chip Roy, believe that the move to oust the speaker should be used sparingly and that the party should focus on the November elections. Massie argues that Johnson’s leadership is not inspiring and is not helping the party obtain a majority. Many Republicans agree that replacing Johnson won’t be easy and that finding someone capable and willing to take on the role will be challenging. Greene has warned that the party won’t have a House majority if Johnson remains in his position.
The dysfunction within the Republican party in the House has been highlighted by Greene’s threat to remove Speaker Johnson. Greene has criticized Johnson’s leadership and his reliance on Democrats, leading a push to oust him along with a few other Republicans. The Democrats have announced that they will block the effort to remove Johnson, not out of support for him, but to move forward. Many Republicans acknowledge the challenges of replacing Johnson, with some viewing the motion to vacate as not a viable solution for the party.
