Some conservatives in the House are skeptical of what their Democratic counterparts are planning after Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement that said liberals would save the job of House Speaker Mike Johnson if some far-right Republicans introduce a motion to vacate.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia has been threatening for weeks now to initiate that process, which is the same process that saw former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed from his post. Johnson ultimately was chosen as his successor.
Recently, Greene said she’d be bringing that motion to vacate in the near future, in protest over Johnson leading two bipartisan efforts — one that provided foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and others, and one that approved funding for the federal government.
While all Democrats voted in favor of removing McCarthy during the last motion to vacate earlier this year, leaders of the liberal party said Tuesday they’d block such a motion against Johnson by voting to table the measure.
If Democrats follow through on that promise, which is procedural in nature, then the House wouldn’t ever even officially hold a vote on Johnson’s ouster.
Yet, not all Republicans are convinced they will do just that. As Republican Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri said on Fox News Digital this week:
“Some people are wondering if this isn’t like a psy-op, where the Dems are saying we’re going to publicly support you because they want, at the end of the day, for him to be vacated?”
Others who talked to Fox News Digital wondered whether the announcement released by Democrats earlier this week was just a ploy to try to get Greene to officially force the motion to vacate.
As Representative Barry Moore of Alabama said:
“In some ways, it’s almost like they’re just trying to push her to do it, and I don’t know if that’s the best thing.”
Representative Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican, told reporters this week:
“I mean, it’s just strange. What role do they play? Why? … They didn’t come for [McCarthy], but they’re coming to keep [Johnson]? They’re going to have to answer for that.”
Johnson added that he was against ousting Johnson from his role as Speaker of the House.
Greene first filed her resolution more than a month ago. Since then, it’s gotten two co-sponsors — Republicans Paul Gosar of Arizona and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. That happened following the $61 billion foreign aid package that was passed last month.
Mostly, though, Greene’s proposal to oust Johnson hasn’t gotten much support within the GOP.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus, an ultra-conservative group of representatives who criticize Johnson a lot, have even distanced themselves from Greene’s push to oust Johnson from his role.
At this point, it seems like the only thing Greene can do to force the issue is to declare the resolution “privileged.” This would force leaders in the House to take up the measure within two legislative days.
She hasn’t indicated just yet whether she officially intends to do that.
