Taylor Greene’s attempt to oust the house speaker met with disapproval
Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was booed by even her own party on Wednesday after she tried to pass a motion to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson over his support for aid packages sent to Ukraine, Gaza, and Taiwan over the past few months.
Ms. Greene had criticised Johnson for collaborating with Democrats, the majority party in the Senate, and for trying to hold on to his position as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
However, Republican congressman and former president of the United States, Donald Trump, had supported Johnson over his compromises with the Biden administration for passing the bill for the passage of foreign aid into Ukraine.
He had also indicated that he’s critical of any ousting attempts against the Speaker ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Despite being the most far-right House Speaker in American history, Mike Johnson has gained the support of many on both sides, despite hailing from the GOP (Grand Old Party, abbreviation for Republican Party).
Ms. Greene had accused Mr. Johnson of aligning with the Democrats for preserving his power of office and trampling civil liberties by funding wars on foreign soil, all while national debt mounts in the states. The final count on the motion read 359–43, resulting in Ms. Greene’s motion being benched by a huge majority. The majority of 196 Republican votes against Ms. Greene, in addition to 163 Democrats, indicated that most did not take Greene’s motion seriously.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green fails to oust House Speaker
When Rep. Taylor Greene brought forward the motion to vacate Mike Johnson on her resolution, the majority of Republicans and Democrats on both sides quickly shut her down in a loud, vocal show of support for Johnson. Despite being booed by the majority of the house floor, Rep. Greene hit back, saying, “This is the Uniparty for the American people watching.”
With 163 Democrats and 196 Republicans voting against Ms. Greene’s motion, two things became very clear. The Republicans have been trying hard to avoid any infighting ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, where former President. Donald Trump is set to take on Democrat Joe Biden.
Secondly, it seems many Democrats see Johnson as a safer option than whoever comes along the line next, as was the case with former House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted by a motion brought forth by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz back in October. A Wall Street Journal report stated, ‘for Democrats, keeping Johnson in position is important, like the proverb ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.’
GOP to avoid internal discord before 2024 elections
While the majority of lawmakers opposed the motion to vacate, Ms. Greene found support from 11 Republicans and 32 Democrats in her effort to vacate Johnson. The MAGA (Make America Great Again) congresswoman has faced the contempt of her colleagues, including former President Donald Trump, for pulling a motion that may or may not signify the internal chaos in Republican ranks ahead of the presidential elections.
Especially since Republicans hold just a one-seat majority in the House, for most GOP members, “internal discourse” is unwanted at this time, given the circumstances. It was evident from the majority of the house opposing the motion that both the Democrats and the GOP want to avoid the weeks of chaos the lower chamber was plunged into last October, when former Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted with the joint support of the Democrats and the GOP.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s failed attempt to oust Mike Johnson as house speaker is likely to strain her relations with other GOP members in future sessions of the house.
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