However, within 5 pages, letter, Mr Green detailed how he believed Mr Johnson, who was elected speaker in October after three weeks of internal party turmoil, had failed the Republican conference. Most notably, Greene accused the speaker of not following the governing rules agreed to by Republicans and claimed that the speaker was working to advance Democratic policies rather than his own party’s. be.
“Mike Johnson worked with [Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.)] Gave Joe Biden and the Democrats everything they wanted, not us. This is no different than what House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries would have done,” Greene wrote, referring to the New York Democrat who serves as House Minority Leader.
Last month, as House members left Washington for a two-week recess, Ms. Greene introduced a motion to remove Mr. Johnson from the speakership, but it did not come to a vote. She said her actions were merely a “warning” to the speaker, who just worked with Democrats to pass a $1.2 trillion funding package to keep the government functioning.
At the time, Greene did not provide a specific timeline for her ouster effort, telling reporters only that she had “started the clock to begin the process of selecting a new chair.”
speak to voters Greene said Monday in Whitfield County, Ga., that Johnson had not worked with Democrats and Senate Republicans on the funding bill and did not give House Republicans 72 hours to read the final version, leading to “complete transparency” in the policy-making process. He said that he was unable to ensure “sexuality”.
“The worst thing he did was he tied our hands behind our backs and didn’t let us fix it,” she claimed. Through her amendment, Greene said she could have blocked Congress from funding policies that she and other Republicans say are in line with President Biden’s policies.
The resignation motion is the same tactic eight far-right Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (Florida), used last fall to remove then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from office. This is the first time for a sitting member of the House of Representatives. He was fired after he ignored far-right demands for a government shutdown and relied on Democrats to pass short-term funding measures. All Democrats and eight Republicans voted to remove Mr. McCarthy from office, and it took weeks (and three unsuccessful speaker candidates) for Mr. Johnson to be elected to replace Mr. McCarthy.
The Republican conference maintained the same governing rules, including allowing any member to force a motion to vacate. Vote to remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives; If introduced under special rules, It can occur within 48 hours after introduction.
In Tuesday’s letter, Green did not say when he intended to move forward with the eviction motion. Additionally, no Republican lawmakers have publicly supported the effort.
But Greene has made it clear she intends to follow through on her threats, saying in an interview with the Washington Post published Monday that “Mr. Johnson gave that $60 billion to Ukraine, and then Mr. Johnson “More Republicans” would support efforts to oust Mr. Johnson if he did, he said. With FISA reauthorization,” he said, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. By working with Democrats to pass a major fundraising package, Greene argued that Johnson is no longer behaving as conservatively as he once did.
“He is a conservative and had a conservative voting record before becoming speaker,” Greene told the Post last Thursday. “Now that he’s Speaker of the House, many of us don’t even know who Mike Johnson is anymore.”
“If these actions by our conference leaders continue, we are no longer the Republican Party. We are a united party hellbent on continuing on a path of self-destruction,” Greene told her colleagues in the letter.
“I have no intention of supporting or participating in anything like that, and neither are the people we represent,” she wrote.
A spokesman for Mr. Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr. Green’s letter. In a statement to the Post on Monday, Johnson said he “respects Marjorie” and that they “share the same conservative beliefs, although we sometimes disagree on strategy.” admitted. Johnson did not respond to reporters’ questions about Greene’s letter at the Capitol on Tuesday.
The Post reported Monday that Republican lawmakers from all parties declined to support Greene’s motion. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, said he was focused on working with Mr. Johnson on border policy. Rep. Dusty Johnson (S.D.), chairman of the conservative Main Street Caucus, said Greene’s motion was a “terrible threat” to Johnson, adding that Johnson must “look for an honest way to move forward.” “There is,” he said.
Even Mr. Gaetz, who introduced the motion to replace Mr. McCarthy, ruled out supporting Mr. Greene’s push to vacate Mr. Johnson’s chair.
Greene acknowledged to Georgia voters on Monday that this year has been a “tough year for Republicans in Congress” due to “fierce competition between each other.”
But she insisted that “anyone in a leadership role in America should be prepared to fight for what’s right.”
“We have to be prepared to fight each other, and we have to be prepared to find common ground,” she said. “But that didn’t happen this Congress. The fact is, the Republican House majority completely failed.”
Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.
