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MTG and Massie Prepare to Strike, Will Force Johnson Expulsion Vote ‘Next Week’
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) earned the endorsement of House Democrat Leadership Tuesday. He will need to cash in on that endorsement only days later.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced to a packed press conference outside the Capitol Wednesday that they would force a vote on Greene’s motion to vacate “next week.”
With the Capitol dome behind them, Greene and Massie accused Johnson of “three betrayals” on government funding, allowing surveillance of American citizens, and funding Ukraine without first securing the border.
The move has long been expected, but Wednesday’s escalation makes clear Johnson’s perilous path toward maintaining his gavel — if not in the short term, certainly beyond November.
“This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country,” read a short Johnson statement issued after the announcement and a day after Johnson accused Greene of not being a serious lawmaker.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Greene explained her initial hopes when filing and why she waited more than six weeks to force a vote on her motion. “I was being conscious and caring about my conference in our majority. It was a warning to stop serving the Democrats and support our Republican conference and support our agenda. And he didn’t do it.”
After Greene filed her motion, Johnson proceeded to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) after casting the deciding vote to kill the warrant requirement and then folded on Ukraine funding.
“Now we have Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats coming out, embracing Mike Johnson with a warm hug and a big wet sloppy kiss,” Greene said, arguing Democrats endorsed Johnson “because Mike Johnson is giving them everything they want. Everything. Every single thing.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hands newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson the gavel at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 25, 2023. (TOM BRENNER/AFP via Getty Images)
She complained that Republicans under Johnson have rejected the demands of the voters who sent them to Washington. “We won the house in 2022,” she said, “but what have we done with it? What are we giving Republican voters to vote for?”
Greene believes a continued Johnson speakership would not only cost Republicans the House but imperil a future Trump administration agenda just as establishment Republicans did throughout Trump’s first term.
“The Republican establishment under Paul Ryan failed President Trump and failed the agenda that we wanted to get done,” she recalled. “They passed a $1.3 trillion omnibus that did not fund the wall after we had stood at Trump rally after Trump rally and said, ‘Build the wall.’”
During one of the press conference’s most memorable moments, Greene attacked Johnson for embracing the “business model of Washington, DC, to fund forever wars,” claiming the mantra of “the uniparty is ‘make Ukraine great again.’”
Pulling out a blue cap with “MUGA” across the front to contrast Trump’s iconic red MAGA hat, she said, “Our economy should not be built on the blood of wars in foreign countries. That’s not what our economy should be built on. That’s not how you grow jobs in America.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) holds up a hat that says “MUGA” or “Make Ukraine Great Again” as she speaks at a news conference alongside Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) at the U.S. Capitol Building on May 1, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Massie refuted what he characterized as “Republican establishment” lies playing into Jeffries’ hand and that forcing a vote is futile since Jeffries will “save Johnson’s bacon.”
“We didn’t get elected to make excuses,” he said. “We didn’t get elected to say we shouldn’t even try. We got elected to come here and give it our best and also to impose transparency.”
Massie also was not prepared to accept the inevitability of the vote’s outcome.
“I’m actually not going to concede that the vote will fail,” he said. “I think Hakeem had to step out in front and get in front of this freight train because he was afraid he didn’t have enough Democrats who would save Mike Johnson.”
Greene insisted the vote would be a victory for the American people whatever its result.
“If this vote fails, and the whole conference… supports the uniparty, let me tell you something, that is not a failure. It’s a win for the American people because that’s a list of names.”
Many Republicans have winced at the notion of another three-week deadlock without a speaker, but Greene insisted the conference has candidates to step up.
“I’m not naming names, but I think we have people that are capable,” she said, suggesting she would support “anybody that’s willing to fight for our agenda, anyone that refuses to share the power with Hakeem Jeffries.”
“That’s something that we’re capable of doing — if we decide to do it.”
Greene and Massie did not say which day they would strike. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has also joined their efforts, although the trio expects more to join.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) (Bill Clark/Pool via AP)
“If anyone is scared of where they’re going to vote on a motion to table or if it goes further, then they don’t belong,” Greene said. “They have to be ready to do the hard job.”
Later Wednesday, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) told CNN he would vote against tabling Greene’s motion but was undecided on how he would vote on the motion to vacate itself, saying, “I think a privileged question deserves an answer.”
Greene and Massie hope Johnson resigns before a vote, with Massie even calling on other members of House Republican leadership to encourage him to step aside for the good of the party.
“He deserves a weekend to think about if he should resign because he knows what’s coming next week,” Massie said.
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