Let’s just make her the Queen Of All Maga and get it over with
On Friday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed a motion to formally boot Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) from the office.
Greene’s move, which came amid conservative outrage over Johnson’s deal on a spending package to avert a government shutdown that passed Friday, threatens to throw the chamber into chaos just months after a hard-right faction ousted Kevin McCarthy from the top job.
Due to the procedural details of the so-called motion to vacate the chair, it was unclear when exactly the vote on Johnson’s fate would be held—or if it would be held at all.
Greene did not notice the resolution as privileged, a special designation that forces a vote. If and when she does, it would give House leadership two legislative days to hold a vote on the measure.
However, the chamber was scheduled to leave for a two-week recess on Friday, so any vote on a motion to vacate would happen at the earliest on April 9.
Speaking to reporters after filing the resolution, Greene said it was time to find a new Speaker of the House.
“We’ve started the clock to start the process to elect a new speaker,” Greene told reporters after filing the motion to vacate. “I’m giving my conference time. I’m being respectful to my conference. But many members in my conference agree, even though it’s uncomfortable, it’s a process none of us want to go through, it has to happen.”
[…]
Standing on the House steps Friday afternoon, shaking his head at a press scrum around Greene, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) called the motion to vacate Johnson “idiotic.”
“I think it does nothing to actually further the conservative agenda, and in fact, once again actually undermines the conference,” Lawler told reporters.
“The American people elected a House Republican majority to serve as a check and balance to govern,” he continued, “and unfortunately, what we’re seeing is a continuation of what occurred last year, where some members of the conference would rather grandstand and create chaos than actually govern.”
Apparently the hardliners are up in arms because Johnson had to keep the government open with the help of Democrats. Boo hoo hoo.
That alone is a black mark for GOP hardliners; making matters worse, the spending bill vote represented the first time this Congress that GOP leadership has failed to win a majority of Republicans on a vote.
Greene’s play is similar to what then-Rep. Mark Meadows did in 2015 to then-Speaker John Boehner. Meadows filed a motion to vacate the chair but never noticed it as privileged, so no vote happened—though Boehner eventually stepped down from the job.
In October of last year, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed the motion to vacate McCarthy as privileged, resulting in his ouster swiftly afterward.
Gaetz’s motion passed with the backing of seven other Republican defectors and unanimous Democratic support. This time around, Democrats are less likely to align against Johnson.
This guy jumped the gun already marking himself as a useful idiot:
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY)—who recently replaced former Rep. George Santos—called Greene’s motion “stupid.” He said that if a vote to remove Johnson materializes, he would protect the speaker.
That may happen of course. But you don’t just announce it before you get something in return!
Other Democrats signaled they are open to bailing out Johnson if conservatives move forward with a vote, but their backing might have strings attached. Support from many Democrats could depend on Johnson advancing a foreign aid package with funding for Ukraine.
Exactly. I’m not sold on the idea of bailing out this theocratic wierdo anyway but if they do it they’d better get something for it because the voters don’t have a clue about the details of this insanity and they won’t be rewarded for being “the grown-ups.” They have to get something tangible for it.
Some of the Republicans are saying the quiet part out loud: