Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a resolution 38 days ago, calling for a vote of no confidence in House Speaker Mike Johnson. However, she has not triggered her resolution yet. It is believed that Greene would likely lose in her efforts to remove Johnson, as some Republicans support keeping him. Democrats could also vote in favor of retaining Johnson, changing the math in the House necessary to remove the Speaker. Another member or Johnson himself could also trigger the resolution, potentially causing embarrassment for Greene and ending any effort to remove the Speaker for the rest of the Congress.
If Greene’s resolution is triggered, the first vote would likely be on a motion to table or kill the resolution. If the House votes to table, Greene’s effort would be vanquished. However, if the motion to table fails, the House would then vote on whether to remove Johnson, causing chaos in the House and potentially leading to the House being paralyzed until a new Speaker is chosen. An acting Speaker Pro Tempore, like House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry, would take over until a new Speaker is selected by the House.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has criticized Johnson’s foreign aid package as his “3rd betrayal” of the American people. If Johnson is removed as Speaker, the House would need to select a new Speaker. The successful candidate would be someone who receives the outright majority of all House Members casting a ballot for someone by name. The present breakdown in the House includes 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats, and six vacancies, making the selection of a new Speaker a critical and mathematically challenging process.
Despite opposition from both the right and left, Washington has chosen to focus on wars in Ukraine and Israel. It is unclear if Greene will take action to trigger her resolution to remove Johnson, as it could lead to significant consequences for the functioning of the House and the selection of a new Speaker. If the resolution is triggered and the House votes to remove Johnson, chaos would ensue, and the House would need to quickly select a new Speaker in order to resume legislative action. Overall, Greene’s efforts to remove Johnson may face challenges and potential consequences for the functioning of the House and the selection of a new Speaker.
