GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia on Friday filed a motion to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid anger about the government funding bill from the House Republican Conference’s right flank.
The House would have to consider Greene’s motion within two legislative days after she is recognized, CNN reports.
The chamber is heading for a two-week recess, and Greene told reporters she would not call up the resolution Friday, which means the clock to force a vote has not yet started.
Greene’s motion is the most strident challenge to the Louisiana Republican’s leadership to date, and is a sign of a growing revolt from the right.
The effort is a significant escalation of the inter-party divisions that have grown increasingly contentious since Johnson took over the speaker’s gavel last year following the historic ousting of Kevin McCarthy. Greene’s motion is the first official step toward launching that process again, a messy procedure that created a leadership vacuum and brought all House floor action to a standstill for weeks.
Johnson controls one of the narrowest margins in House history and has had to rely on Democratic votes to advance some key legislation – including Friday’s government funding package – leading to bills that reflect bipartisan compromise, which conservative hardliners reject as too liberal.
“I filed the motion to vacate today, but it’s more of a warning and a pink slip,” Greene said to reporters after filing the motion. “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.”
GOP lawmakers who spoke with Greene told CNN that her plan is to use the two weeks of recess when the House is not in session to figure out when to bring the motion to vacate.
Asked for a reaction by CNN, Johnson didn’t respond, dismissing the question with a wave.
After Greene filed the motion, she was swarmed by her Republican colleagues. A source close to the conversations told CNN that a number of fellow GOP lawmakers were trying to convince the Georgia Republican not to bring the motion. Two of the lawmakers who were there, GOP Reps. Barry Loudermilk and Kat Cammack, were observed to be in an extended conversation with Greene.
Part of the argument to Greene from her Republican colleagues is that if she goes through with this, it could lead to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries inadvertently becoming speaker, a source who witnessed the conversations told CNN.
