Anti-LGBTQ+ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has filed a surprise motion to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) because Johnson allowed the House to vote on a $1.2 trillion government funding bill today that largely excluded her and other far-right Republicans’ desired anti-LGBTQ+ provisions. The bill cleared the House this morning in a 286-134 vote.
“I filed the motion to vacate today, but it’s more of a warning and a pink slip,” Greene told reporters after filing the motion, according to CNN. “I respect our conference. I paid all my dues to my conference. I’m a member in good standing, and I do not wish to inflict pain on our conference and to throw the House into chaos.”
She said not wearing a mask during the COVID-19 epidemic was a form of protest. The Justices apparently didn’t agree with her.
Whenever the House formally recognizes Greene’s motion, it will have two days to consider whether to take action on it. The House is heading for a two-week recess, and Greene said she wouldn’t ask to be recognized on Friday. Instead, she will use the two-week recess to determine when to ask for her motion to be recognized.
“Our Republican majority is a complete failure,” Greene wrote in a Thursday post on X, expressing her disapproval of the federal spending bill.
“Speaker Johnson is funding the government that has created this invasion,” she wrote alongside video footage of immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. “I’m voting NO! SHUT IT DOWN!”
Our Republican majority is a complete failure.
We have the power of the purse, which means we can control what the entire government does.
Tomorrow Speaker Johnson is funding the government that has created this invasion.
Greene recently appeared on the Real America’s Voice broadcast of Steve Bannon, a former official in the administration of President Donald Trump. She said she would evaluate whether to oust Johnson “on a minute-by-minute” basis.
Greene is asked if she will bring a Motion to Vacate on Mike Johnson if the budget bill passes. She says she is evaluating it on a “minute by minute” basis and Bannon should stay tuned to watch what happens. pic.twitter.com/MkvoG2pGD8
In late 2023, Republican House members adopted a rule that allows them to easily oust their speaker. The rule was used to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in late 2023 after he worked with Democrats to pass a budget bill, something Johnson is now accused of doing.
It’s unclear who Republicans might choose as Johnson’s replacement, seeing as Johnson was literally the fifth choice for Speaker. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who spearheaded McCarthy’s removal late last year, said that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) could become the next speaker because of the Republicans’ slim House majority and infighting over party leadership.
“We’d have Republicans cross over. I worry that we’ve got Republicans who would vote for Hakeem Jeffries at this point. I really do,” Gaetz said. “I take no joy in saying that. But you can only vacate the speaker if you know that the party leadership won’t change hands. I knew that with certainty last time. I don’t know it with certainty this time.”
(@RepMTG) March 21, 2024