Amidst calls for his removal, House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing resistance from House GOP rebels who are hesitant to embrace a new push to oust him. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced her intention to force a vote on Johnson’s removal, but her efforts have largely fallen flat within the House GOP.
The rebels who voted to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are expressing reluctance to go through another speaker election, especially in an election year when anything can happen. While some rebels express disappointment in Johnson’s performance, they are not eager to support Greene’s motion to vacate the chair.
Representative Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee who voted to remove McCarthy, believes that Johnson has the support he needs and that Greene’s push is not a good idea. He suggests that waiting another week to address the issue will only keep it in the press.
Beyond Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona, Greene’s push has not gained much traction within the House GOP. This includes the seven remaining House Republicans who originally voted with Democrats to remove McCarthy in October.
Burchett emphasizes that the situation now is different because the rebels were sure they could install a Republican speaker. He notes that Republicans have won in districts where Democrats won the White House by a significant margin, indicating that anything can happen in an election year.
While the rebels express disappointment in Johnson’s perceived lack of effort in fighting for House GOP priorities, most are hesitant to go through another midterm speaker election. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who voted to remove McCarthy, states that she does not support the motion to vacate and is still recovering from the first one.
Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, who spearheaded McCarthy’s ouster, says he will likely support a motion to table Greene’s proposal. He believes that everyone has the weekend to think about it.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good of Virginia previously indicated his desire for a new House GOP leader but acknowledged that Republicans have a thinner majority now than when they forced out McCarthy. He has not provided any updates on his position since then.
Representatives Eli Crane of Arizona and Andy Biggs of Arizona have also expressed displeasure with Johnson’s leadership but told CNN and The Hill, respectively, that a Johnson ouster is not likely at this time.
Representative Matt Rosendale of Montana, who is retiring this year, declined to indicate his position earlier this week.
Greene believes that if the rebels stand by their previous statements when they voted to oust McCarthy, they should support her motion to vacate Johnson. However, Massie anticipates more GOP support next week.
Both Massie and Greene strongly opposed toppling McCarthy last year. The eighth Republican who voted to oust McCarthy, former Representative Ken Buck of Colorado, left the House in March before the end of his term.
