House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) criticized the motion to vacate Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) next week to oust her from the speakership.
After Mr Green announced he would push forward the motion at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Johnson, who has repeatedly broken Hastert rules and capitulated to aiding Ukraine without border funding, insisted the motion was “wrong”.
“This motion is wrong for the Republican conference, wrong for the Republican Party, and wrong for the country,” he said, according to CNN Capitol Hill’s Melanie Zanona.
Chairman Johnson responded:
“This motion is wrong for the Republican conference, wrong for the organization, and wrong for the country.” https://t.co/cLou8T9UZE
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) May 1, 2024
Mr Greene first introduced the motion against Mr Johnson before the Easter recess, but it was not privileged and the House did not have to take it up. If he is granted the privilege, the House of Commons would have to consider it within two days.
She filed the motion shortly before Johnson breached the Hastert rule for the first time regarding government funding programs. Given the events of recent weeks, the motion to resign was supported by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who joined Greene at a press conference Wednesday.
green emphasized Her motion was initially a warning to “cease serving the Democratic Party and support the Republican Conference” and support its agenda, she said.
He claimed that Johnson was “responsible” for not privileging the motion, even though he had cast the deciding vote to reject a key amendment to Section 702 of the External Surveillance Act. He wrapped multiple foreign aid bills into a $95 billion package. It ignores America’s southern border.
Greene’s announcement came a day after Democratic leaders said they would suspend a vote on her motion to resign.
“Now Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats have come forward and embraced Mike Johnson with a warm hug and a wet, sloppy kiss, and they’re supporting him,” Greene said Wednesday.
“They’re ready to support him as chairman. They want to keep it going, they want to keep the band together. Why? Because Mike Johnson gives them everything they want.” she added.
After highlighting that Democrats repeatedly voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in the last speaker’s election, Greene said, “I don’t think Democrats are ready to vote for Mike Johnson.” I’m very happy with what I’m doing.”
“I want to see that happen and I want to see the votes recorded,” she said.
Notably, on April 17, when Massie first co-sponsored the motion, he told Breitbart News that the ideal scenario would be for Johnson to resign as soon as the Republican conference reaches an agreement on a new speaker. This is the point that I agree with.
“I think she handled this in a very reasonable way,” Massey said of Green on Wednesday. She said: “She has given the Speaker multiple chances to resign or leave her, but instead she clings to the Democratic Party and clings to power.”
