Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took action on Wednesday by initiating a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. However, her motion was swiftly rejected as Democrats and the majority of Republicans united in overwhelming opposition.
Lawmakers in the chamber expressed their disapproval audibly as Greene voiced her grievances with Johnson and called for a vote.
Republican Congresswoman, accompanied by co-sponsor GOP Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky, claimed that Johnson had failed to fulfill any of the promises he made to the Republican conference following his election as the top post in October.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has been accused by Representative Greene of aiding and abetting the Democrats and the Biden administration in their efforts to destroy the country. She claims that by passing the Democrats’ agenda and limiting the Republicans’ ability to influence legislation, Speaker Johnson has played a role in undermining the Republican party’s agenda.
Johnson and his leadership team were present on the House floor when Greene proceeded to read her resolution.
The House wasted no time in taking action on Greene’s attempt to remove Johnson from office. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise promptly called for a vote to table, or essentially dismiss, Greene’s resolution. To the surprise of no one, the motion to table Greene’s effort received bipartisan support and passed successfully.
The motion put forth by Greene was ultimately dismissed with a vote of 359-43, with seven lawmakers opting to vote present. A wave of applause filled the chamber as the final tally was announced.
Greene’s motion to end the debate was met with opposition from 11 Republicans and 32 Democrats who voted against it.
Johnson playfully bantered with reporters following the vote, quipping, “Well, it’s just another Wednesday on Capitol Hill.”
The speaker expressed their disagreement with Greene’s resolution, referring to it as a “misguided effort,” and expressed gratitude towards their colleagues for their support.
Johnson expressed his hope that the personality politics and character assassination, which have characterized the 118th Congress, would come to an end. He described these actions as regrettable and not representative of America. Johnson emphasized the need to move forward and leave such behavior behind.
In an interview with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott following the vote, Greene expressed her lack of surprise at the outcome of the motion to vacate the speaker’s chair.
“I believe this is exactly what the American people needed to witness,” she expressed.
“I joined Congress with the intention of avoiding the uni-party mentality, but today it was evident that the uni-party was in full swing,” she remarked. “In fact, the Republican Party demonstrated their willingness to collaborate with the Democrats on every issue.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries explained that their party’s action to preserve Johnson’s job was driven by the goal of reinstating common sense and bringing stability to Washington.
“Our commitment to solving problems for everyday Americans in a bipartisan manner is the driving force behind our decision to prevent Marjorie Taylor Greene from causing further chaos in the House of Representatives and the country,” emphasized the congressman from New York during a press conference. He added, “Washington, D.C. needs less chaos and more common sense. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the extreme MAGA Republicans are just agents of chaos.”
Jeffries stated that the vote itself clearly indicates whether Democrats would vote to save Johnson again or demand concessions from him in the future if further motions to remove him are filed.
He emphasized that the vote was a matter of personal conviction, with an overwhelming and decisive outcome. He also stressed the importance of Congress moving forward in unity.
When questioned about her intentions of attempting to remove Johnson once more, Greene did not provide a response.
According to a post on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump, who has supported Johnson throughout his dispute with Greene, expressed that this is not an appropriate time to propose motions to vacate.
“If we demonstrate disunity, it will be perceived as chaos, and this will have a detrimental impact on everything. Mike Johnson is a dedicated individual who is putting in significant effort. While there are certain aspects that I wish had been addressed in the past two months, we will work together to accomplish them.”
However, Greene expressed her gratitude for the support given by Trump.
On Wednesday, Greene’s tactics took an unexpected turn following her recent meetings with Johnson on Monday and Tuesday. It seemed like she was stepping back from her weeks-long threat, but now she has made a sudden move.
During their meetings, she presented Johnson with a list of demands. These demands consisted of discontinuing aid to Ukraine and defunding special counsel Jack Smith’s office.
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