Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has made a bold move to challenge House Speaker Mike Johnson by filing a resolution calling for his removal. This comes after Speaker Johnson pushed through a $1.2 trillion bipartisan spending bill that angered the hard right faction of the Republican party.
In a statement, Ms. Greene expressed her dissatisfaction with Speaker Johnson’s leadership, accusing him of betraying the Republican conference and breaking their rules. While she did not immediately seek a vote to oust him, her resolution sets up a major test for Mr. Johnson and highlights the deep divisions within the House Republican majority.
The passage of the spending bill, which was needed to avert a government shutdown, further fueled the discontent among right-wing lawmakers. Ms. Greene criticized the bill as a win for Democrats and denounced measures that she believed funded progressive policies.
The resolution filed by Ms. Greene signals a potential challenge to Mr. Johnson’s leadership and could lead to him becoming the second Republican speaker to face an ouster by his colleagues in less than six months. The move reflects months of dissatisfaction with Mr. Johnson’s leadership, particularly his willingness to make deals with Democrats to keep the government funded.
As lawmakers depart for a planned two-week recess, the uncertainty looms over the future of Speaker Johnson and the Republican party’s leadership. Ms. Greene’s resolution, if brought to a vote, would be a rare instance of a lawmaker using a tool to oust a speaker, with the last such occurrence happening over 100 years ago.
The possibility of Democrats coming to the aid of the Republican speaker adds another layer of complexity to the situation. While some Democrats have indicated they would support Mr. Johnson in the face of a GOP revolt, the outcome remains uncertain.
Overall, Ms. Greene’s challenge to Speaker Johnson underscores the ongoing power struggle within the Republican party and sets the stage for a potentially tumultuous period ahead in the House of Representatives.
