Polarizing figure in the US House of Representatives, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has stated her intention to trigger a vote for the resignation of Speaker Mike Johnson for next week, according to The Hill.
Johnson is in his fourth House term and has represented Louisiana’s 4th congressional district since 2017.
Greene Makes Good on Her Warning
Controversial Republican Greene introduced her motion for the resignation about a month ago to the House of Representatives. Now, she plans to activate this motion next week, at which point the lower chamber of Congress will have two days to consider it.
The far-right politician has been the representative for the 14th congressional district in Georgia since 2021.
Accusations Levied Against Speaker Johnson
Greene’s remarks in the House were disparaging and seemed a cause for concern in the Republican party, saying, “Once he became Speaker, he has become a man that none of us recognize. We’re not going to have a House majority if we keep Mike Johnson.”
Greene’s previous extremist beliefs have included promoting antisemitic and white supremacist rhetorics such as the white genocide conspiracy theory, QAnon, and Pizzagate.
Massie’s Lack of Faith
While fellow Republican Thomas Massie promoted himself as a backer of Greene’s proposal, he himself admitted that this vote was likely to fail. Massie had initially voiced his support for the replacement of Johnson but seems to have changed his tack when faced with the reality of a vote.
Following his victory over Bill Adkins in the 2012 general election, Massie has been the United States representative for the 4th congressional district of Kentucky since then.
Why Is There a Target on Johnson?
Far-right Republicans like Greene have accused Johnson of having too much investment in foreign policy matters, particularly in funding a bill to provide aid to Ukraine, which Johnson initiated, sparking criticism from radical Republicans.
No stranger to polarizing views himself, Johnson is a young-earth creationist and sat on the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2004 to 2012.
The Democrats’ Stance
In a strange move, Democrats appear to be in support of Johnson. Democrat Jared Moskowitz said they would not back Greene’s proposal because, in his perspective according to The Hill, it would create a knock-on effect allowing for the removal of any Speaker in the future, setting a dangerous precedent.
A relative newcomer to the House of Representatives, Moskowitz has only been serving as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 23rd congressional district since 2023.
Cross Party Alliance
In a rare move in the House, it would seem that for Johnson to pass his foreign aid package, the “Wartime Speaker” would need to reach across the aisle to count on the Democrats’ support in order for it to pass.
Johnson’s bid for Speaker of the House was endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Far Right Priorities
While the focus for much of the globe is on the state of the US’s allies, particularly Israel and Ukraine, House Republicans have been slamming Johnson for diverting attention and budgeting away from security at the US-Mexico border, which has been their top priority coming into the election year.
Under Biden’s administration, The U.S. Border Patrol detained the highest numbers ever reported of migrants, more than 1.7 million, crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in the fiscal year of 2021.
Setting a Precedent
If Johnson were to be ousted, it would be only the second time in history that the motion has been successfully deployed following Kevin McCarthy’s expulsion last October. However, Johnson’s 6-month tenure would set a new record for his length as speaker.
McCarthy was the U.S. Representative for California’s 20th congressional district from 2007 until 2023 when he resigned.
Repeating Mistakes
With a lack of fire behind this proposed motion, many Republicans could still be feeling the wounds from McCarthy’s ousting last year, which highlighted the deep divisions within the party. This came alongside the exposure of infighting which meant the new majority was unable to function for three weeks.
McCarthy’s bill, which signaled his downfall, included large spending cuts and strict border policies and was criticized for being both insignificant and insufficient.
Will Johnson survive this ousting attempt? Only time will tell but with a lack of support for Greene’s motion, the outcome falling in her favor is looking increasingly unlikely.
