Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a resolution Friday to remove U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson from his post. She resorted to the same parliamentary measure that led to Johnson becoming speaker last year.
After a cross-party vote to approve the six remaining government spending bills for fiscal year 2024, Greene filed a request for eviction the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The $1.2 trillion spending measure passed despite a slim majority of Republicans voting against it. Republicans in the House of Representatives repressed Johnson’s predecessor, Californian Kevin McCarthy, reported a similar situation.
“This is basically a warning,” Greene told reporters outside the Capitol after submitting the motion. “It’s time for us to go through the process, take our time and find a new speaker of the House who will stand with Republicans and our Republican majority, rather than with Democrats.”
Greene chose not to privilege the motion, which would have forced a vote within days and nullified a two-week recess that was scheduled to begin Friday. House rules allow her to force a vote on the measure at any time.
Greene, a conservative who often opposes her party’s leadership, said she does not aim to “push the House into chaos” and would not put a time limit on her request.
But Greene indicated she will try to oust Johnson at some point.
“I’m not saying it won’t happen in two weeks or a month or who knows when,” she said. “But I say the clock has started. It is time for our conference to select a new speaker.”
A spokesman said Johnson would continue to do the job for which he was elected.
“Speaker Johnson always listens to members’ concerns but focuses on governing,” Johnson spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement. “He will continue to advance conservative legislation that secures our border, strengthens our national defense and shows how we expand our majority.”
Second eviction request in five months
Because the measure is not privileged, the chamber will not vote on it, at least until members return from recess.
Republicans, who lost more than three weeks The leaders who sought to replace McCarthy after Matt Gaetz of Florida and seven other Republicans forced his ouster in October may not be enthusiastic about enduring another round of leadership uncertainty.
republican coordinated last October to make the previously little-known Johnson speaker after the plenary session was virtually frozen following McCarthy’s ouster.
Greene “made a big mistake,” said Rep. Clay Higgins, Johnson’s fellow Republican from Louisiana in a video posted on X.
“To think that any of our Republican colleagues would now call for Johnson’s removal is truly abhorrent to me,” Higgins said. “I stand with Mike Johnson. He is perhaps the only man in history who could potentially step up and help us get through these very dark and challenging times.”
But because of the razor-thin majority of 219 to 213 in the conference House of Representatives, only a few Johnson defectors were able to force him out of office just months after he took office. That lead could shrink further in the coming weeks, as Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher said Friday he will leave office on April 19.
If all Democrats voted to oust Johnson – as they did with McCarthy – only three other Republicans, or two after Gallagher’s departure, would be enough to vote with Greene to oust him. That would force the House to again pause its other business to select a novel speaker and risk another bitter period of infighting among House Republicans as the party tries to unify ahead of the November election.
McCarthy’s removal was that For the first time The House of Representatives successfully evicted a speaker.
It emerged from a act The California Republican made a speech in January 2023 to appease House conservatives who were skeptical of him as speaker. McCarthy accepted a rules package that allowed a single member to submit a motion to resign.
Jennifer Shutt and Ashley Murray contributed to this report.
