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Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Tuesday the outcome of her call to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is now in his hands.
This development comes after the speaker, Ms Greene and her ally Representative Thomas Massie met for some 90 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. They previously met on Monday for over an hour.
After the second meeting, Ms Greene told reporters the ball is in Mr Johnson’s court.
“We will see,” she told reporters. “It is up to Mike Johnson.”
The GOP duo want Mr Johnson to block future Ukraine aid. They also want him to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probes into Donald Trump. Mr Smith is investigating the classified documents case and the 6 January riots. These asks are largely symbolic because the US Senate and President Joe Biden would likely block them.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Ms Greene told The Independent the speaker has been “working with Democrats the entire time.”
“[The Democrats] are ready to deliver the votes to save his speakership, because they support him because of what he’s delivered for the Democrats and the Biden agenda,” Ms Greene told The Independent.
Democrats say they’ll save Johnson from Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ouster attempt: ‘I’ll hold my nose’
Afterwards, Greene told reporters the outcome lay with the speaker.
“We will see,” she said. “It is up to Mike Johnson.”
Greene filed a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a no-confidence vote in Johnson, back in March. Last week, Greene (and Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky) said that she would trigger a vote to oust the speaker after House Democratic leadership said they would consider tabling Greene’s motion to vacate.
But that does not mean Democrats will relish doing so.
“I thought they fell in love again,” Representative Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the Rules Committees, told The Independent, after the meeting between Johnson and Greene, “and I wouldn’t have to hold my nose and vote not to vacate the chair.”
Read on:
Katie Hawkinson, Eric Garcia8 May 2024 14:00
What are GOP members saying about Greene’s ouster?
Some GOP members are brushing off Marjorie Taylor Greene’s efforts to oust Speaker Mike Johnson if he does not agree to her demands.
Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York who represents a district that voted for President Joe Biden, laughed off the motion to vacate as a stunt.
“I just don’t care, it’s so stupid,” he told The Independent.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina called Greene “uninformed” and “a waste of time” last month when she called to oust Johnson the first time.
But some fellow far-right representatives are happy to see Greene standing up to the speaker.
Representative Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas and member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, said on Tuesday that he broadly agrees with Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call for change.
“I don’t know her exact laundry list, but in broad terms, yes,” Roy told The Independent just outside the US House chambers. “The American people are not happy.”
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 13:00
The bizarre feud between former allies Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Johnson, explained
On Tuesday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet once again as Johnson seeks to talk down Greene’s plans to remove Johnson from his job. Greene would do that by triggering a motion to vacate, effectively turfing him out of the speakership if she can get enough votes in support. How did it come to this?
On the surface, the two should be natural allies. Both are hardline conservatives and ardent supporters of former president Donald Trump. Both voted to object to the 2020 presidential election results after January 6 and both have made a point of criticizing President Joe Biden on immigration policy.
But prior to his ascent as speaker, few people had heard of Johnson — whereas Greene was one of the most visible faces of the pro-MAGA wing of the Republican Party.
Read more from Eric Garcia:
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 12:00
WATCH: Marjorie Taylor Greene exits second meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 11:00
What is a motion to vacate?
Marjorie Taylor Greene may call a motion to vacate against Speaker Mike Johnson. If Ms Greene triggers a “privileged motion” on her motion to vacate, the House will be forced to vote within 48 hours on his removal.
Read more about how a motion to vacate works — and how the process was used to oust the last Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy:
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 10:00
ICYMI: Freedom Caucus member gives The Independent his thoughts on ousting effort
Representative Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas and member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, told The Independent he broadly agrees with Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call for change.
“I don’t know her exact laundry list, but in broad terms, yes,” Mr Roy told The Independent just outside the US House chambers. “The American people are not happy.”
He echoed a similar sentiment to Ms Greene, who told The Independent she wants Speaker Mike Johnson gone because he is not honouring voters’ wishes.
“[The Democrats] are ready to deliver the votes to save his speakership, because they support him because of what he’s delivered for the Democrats and the Biden agenda,” Ms Greene told The Independent on Tuesday. “This is not what Americans voted for — they gave us the majority because they want a Republican agenda. That’s what we’re here to work on.”
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 09:00
ICYMI: What is ‘MUGA,’ and why is Marjorie Taylor Greene using the acronym?
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene says her fellow representatives will need to choose between “MAGA” or “MUGA” as her attempt to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson moves ahead.
On Wednesday, the right-wing Georgia firebrand, accompanied by fellow right-wing Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, said she will call a privileged motion next week that would trigger an automatic vote within 48 hours over Johnson’s removal.
Ms Greene and Mr Massie criticised Mr Johnson’s reliance on Democrats to pass everything from spending bills to reauthorisation of surveillance legislation and aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. They blasted work between Mr Johnson and Mr Jeffries as a culmination of the “uniparty.””
Ms Greene then brandished a hat that said “MUGA.”
“The uniparty is ‘Make Ukraine Great Again,’” she said. “The uniparty is about funding every single foreign war. They think this is the business model that needs to be done.”
Read more:
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 08:00
The bizarre feud between former allies Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Johnson, explained
On Tuesday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet once again as Johnson seeks to talk down Greene’s plans to remove Johnson from his job. Greene would do that by triggering a motion to vacate, effectively turfing him out of the speakership if she can get enough votes in support. How did it come to this?
On the surface, the two should be natural allies. Both are hardline conservatives and ardent supporters of former president Donald Trump. Both voted to object to the 2020 presidential election results after January 6 and both have made a point of criticizing President Joe Biden on immigration policy.
But prior to his ascent as speaker, few people had heard of Johnson — whereas Greene was one of the most visible faces of the pro-MAGA wing of the Republican Party.
Read more from The Independent’s Washington, DC Bureau Chief Eric Garcia:
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 07:00
WATCH: Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke to The Independent about her fight against Speaker Johnson
Katie Hawkinson8 May 2024 06:00
ICYMI: Marjorie Taylor Greene turned her hostage situation into a circus
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ability to suck out the energy of the House and redirect the spotlight on her remained unbowed.
Greene’s meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson was supposed to be an off-ramp from her threatened motion to vacate.
Instead, it gave her more attention.
Ms Greene was joined by fellow conservative insurgent Thomas Massie, who has joined Ms Greene in her efforts to remove Johnson. Also accompanying the right-wing firebrand was Brian Glenn, the host of Right Side Broadcasting Network and her boyfriend.
The huddle between Johnson and Greene went well into votes. The meeting continued to drag on despite the fact that Mr Johnson was set to meet with Abdullah II, the King of Jordan.
Eric Garcia8 May 2024 05:01
