Greene: Republicans will lose the House if they don’t address living costs

Greene Criticizes GOP Leadership Amid Financial Concerns

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has ramped up her criticism of House Republican leadership, stating that Republicans risk losing control of the House if the cost of living doesn’t decrease.

“I can’t predict what’s going to happen next, but if people continue to feel strained by their paychecks, we could really see Republicans lose the House,” she mentioned in an interview with Semaphore published on Monday.

“Voters are likely to head into the midterm elections considering their financial situations,” she added.

A spokesperson for Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) directed questions to an interview he conducted with CNBC last Thursday when asked for a response.

“I’m quite optimistic about the midterm elections,” Johnson stated. “I genuinely believe we’ll expand our House majority and maintain control of the Senate. We should aim to give President Trump four years instead of just two.”

Johnson emphasized that Republicans are making the right move by advocating for a straightforward continuing resolution to fund the government.

Currently, Republicans have a narrow majority in the House with 219 seats to the Democrats’ 213. Incoming Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is set to be sworn in following her special election victory but Johnson has confirmed his intention to swear her in once the House resumes.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, household debt, mortgage balances, and credit card debt rose significantly in the second quarter of 2025—up by $185 billion, $131 billion, and $27 billion, respectively. Total household debt has surged by $4.24 trillion since late 2019.

Throughout the ongoing government shutdown, which began on October 1, Greene has voiced her concerns about Johnson and House leadership. Conservative lawmakers have repeatedly urged the Speaker to reconvene the House to address the funding deadlock.

Early Monday, Greene expressed on the social media platform X that the House “should be in session” and criticized the leadership for not respecting calls to reconvene. Johnson has claimed that the House fulfilled its responsibilities by passing a Republican-backed funding bill on September 19 and has maintained that the House’s adjournment during the shutdown was justified.

In the shutdown’s initial week, Greene remarked on X that rising health insurance premiums are “absolutely outrageous,” particularly with predictions that they could double for many due to the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits. While she is not an advocate for the ACA, she criticized Republicans for lacking a tangible plan to address these expected increases.

Days later, Johnson provided “thoughtful protection” for Greene’s concerns during an appearance on Fox News, asserting that “there are numerous actions we can take, but consensus building is necessary in a large, deliberative body like this.”

Nonetheless, Greene told Semaphore, “There’s considerable frustration within the party regarding the failure to pass a budget and the lack of meetings.” She noted the absence of any Republican conference calls focused on healthcare issues.