Washington
CNN
—
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced Wednesday she is going to drive a vote over Home Speaker Mike Johnson’s ouster subsequent week – a transfer that comes after Democrats have mentioned they may vote to kill the trouble and guarantee Johnson doesn’t lose his job.
“I feel each member of Congress must take that vote and let the chips fall the place they might and so subsequent week, I’m going to be calling this movement to vacate. Completely, calling it,” she mentioned at a information convention.
Greene’s resolution places an finish to weeks of hypothesis over whether or not she would transfer ahead to set off the consequential vote. The transfer escalates stress on Johnson and units up a significant showdown on the Home flooring, though the vote is anticipated to fail.
Johnson has defended his management in opposition to the menace, saying that he is not going to resign and warning {that a} vote to oust him might trigger chaos within the Home.
“This movement is mistaken for the Republican Convention, mistaken for the establishment, and mistaken for the nation,” the speaker mentioned in an announcement after Greene’s announcement.
Many Republicans oppose the push to oust Johnson and don’t need to see the Home GOP Convention devolve into disarray prefer it did after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic and unprecedented vote final yr.
Greene on Wednesday insisted she is “completely not” defying former President Donald Trump, though Trump has defended Johnson, by forcing the vote.
“I’m the most important supporter of President Trump,” she mentioned. “I battle for his agenda each single day, and that’s why I’m combating right here in opposition to my very own Republican convention.”
Greene additionally mentioned she has not decided but if she is going to drive repeated votes on the difficulty if the vote fails subsequent week.
“I haven’t decided on that but,” she mentioned.
Greene initially filed the movement to oust Johnson in March amid conservative anger over the Louisiana Republican’s dealing with of the federal government funding battle.
A flooring vote to oust Johnson would require a majority to succeed, however it could actually nonetheless be preempted. A movement to desk – or kill – the decision might be supplied and voted on first. That might additionally solely require a easy majority to succeed.
Home GOP leaders plan to shortly take up and kill Greene’s movement, in keeping with GOP sources. Greene has but to specify which day she plans to go to the ground and name for a vote. GOP sources say they may vote the identical day she gives it, relying on attendance.
After Johnson moved final month to cross a significant international help bundle that included help for Ukraine, Home Democratic management introduced that Democrats would assist Johnson hold his job by voting to desk if the difficulty arose.
“We are going to vote to desk Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Movement to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the movement, it is not going to succeed,” Home Democratic leaders mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday.
However on Wednesday, Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries wouldn’t decide to having Democrats save Johnson from a number of makes an attempt to oust him if there are repeated makes an attempt.
Jeffries mentioned the Democratic caucus “will take it one step at a time.”
Greene railed in opposition to Johnson on Wednesday for roughly 10 minutes, taking concern together with his help for Ukraine help and specializing in the current announcement that Home Democrats would vote to kill her effort to oust him.
“Now we have now (Home Democratic chief) Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats popping out, embracing Mike Johnson with a heat hug and an enormous, moist, sloppy kiss,” she mentioned.
Greene mentioned she didn’t set off the movement beforehand as a result of she was being “managed” and “accountable.”
“I used to be being acutely aware and caring about my convention in our majority. It was a warning to cease serving the Democrats and help our Republican convention and help our agenda. And he didn’t do it. And all of us went dwelling and Republican voters in all places, People had been raging at Mike Johnson.”
Throughout the information convention, Greene put a “Make Ukraine Nice Once more” hat on a photograph of Johnson and Jeffries.
A variety of Home Republicans instantly pushed again on Greene’s plan.
“I disagree with that,” mentioned Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus. “She had each proper to do it, however it’s not the time.”
“Who’s in line to take over, who desires the job? And I actually hate, , with all the issues we’re dealing with now – you see what’s occurring at campuses – , we received an election arising,” he continued.
Nonetheless, Norman acknowledged that he’s nonetheless pissed off with Johnson’s job efficiency to this point.
“We anticipated extra when Mike took workplace – and I like him personally, he’s a really religious man – however the motive he’s getting the criticism … is as a result of they anticipated him to battle,” Norman mentioned.
Rep. Marc Molinaro, a weak Republican from New York, accused Greene of merely “wanting extra consideration.”
He continued, “Mike Johnson will maintain the speakership. The speaker acknowledges the fact that we dwell in, and has been centered on conservative rules, acknowledging that we have now to barter with one other department and one other home that don’t see the world, all the problems the identical manner we do.”
Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana was additionally upset with Greene’s announcement. “I want she wouldn’t,” he mentioned, calling the speaker battle “terribly painful” and “unproductive.” “We’ve received extra essential issues to work on as a substitute of that.”
“Let’s simply transfer ahead,” Pence added. “You already know, God put our eyes within the entrance of our head so we’d all the time look ahead, and she or he’s wanting again.”
Later Wednesday, Greene dismissed considerations that her effort will harm Republicans in November and mentioned she doesn’t give a “rat’s a**” about what different members consider her actions.
“What you guys have to know is I actually don’t give a rat’s a** what anyone up right here says about what I’m doing,” Greene informed CNN. “I care fully concerning the folks on this nation, and I can not wait to place the whole social gathering on file.”
This story has been up to date with extra info.
CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, Melanie Zanona and Aileen Graef contributed to this report.
