Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, is reportedly reconsidering her intention to push for an immediate vote to remove Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, as the House Speaker. During a recent interview with reporters, Greene stated, “We have had discussions with the Speaker’s office, and at this time, the ball is in Mike Johnson’s court.” Greene made this statement in the company of Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky.
On Tuesday, the trio met for approximately an hour and thirty minutes, following an initial two-hour meeting on Monday afternoon. During these meetings, Greene and Massie presented Johnson with a series of requests, including a pledge to discontinue providing financial aid to Ukraine and to withdraw funding for Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump. They also sought assurances that Johnson would refrain from bringing legislation to the floor without first securing support from the majority of the House GOP caucus. Additionally, they requested commitments to reduce federal spending if an agreement to fund the government for fiscal year 2025 is not reached by September 30.
Greene emphasized, “He comprehends that he must serve as our Republican Speaker of the House. The ideas we talked about, which were leaked to the media, are straightforward and benefit both the American people and those who entrusted us with the majority.”
Greene and Massie’s initial announcement of their intention to force a vote on a motion to vacate the Speaker’s position was made during a press conference held last week. The motion to vacate is a procedural mechanism that, under the current rules, permits a single lawmaker to initiate a House-wide vote on the removal of the Speaker. However, on Tuesday, the pair declined to provide specifics on how they intended to proceed or whether they would schedule another meeting with Johnson.
When asked about the timeframe for Johnson to meet their demands, Greene responded, “We didn’t establish a specific timeline, but it’s relatively short.” She later added that it would be “unrealistic” to anticipate immediate results.
Massie conveyed to Johnson, “If his strategy is to prolong this situation until the pressure dissipates or to delay it for weeks or days without making any progress in our direction, then he would be far better off holding this vote and putting it behind him. It benefits neither him nor us to prolong this process.”
“But if it becomes evident that he is simply attempting to delay the vote, we will do him, you, and the GOP a favor by withdrawing the motion,” he continued.
When questioned about the possibility of a third meeting with Johnson, Greene stated, “I anticipate walking into his office and having him present me with a list of action items and plans. That necessitates a meeting, doesn’t it?”
Regarding the meetings with Greene and Massie, Johnson remarked to reporters, “We are discussing ideas and suggestions. It’s what I consistently do with all members. So there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
Greene, Massie, and Representative Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, are the only three House Republicans actively advocating for Johnson’s removal due to their dissatisfaction with his handling of foreign aid and government spending.
These actions stem from long-standing concerns among conservatives who believe Johnson has marginalized them on crucial legislative matters. They have criticized him for not sufficiently advocating for GOP priorities and instead yielding to the Democrat-controlled White House and Senate.
Johnson has repeatedly emphasized that he operates with a historically narrow majority – now only one seat – and controls only one-third of one branch of government.
