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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks with members of the media after passing a series of foreign aid bills at the U.S. Capitol on April 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives today passed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Ukraine. Taiwan.
CNN
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House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed for passage of a massive foreign aid package over the objections of conservative hardliners. Now, Louisiana Republicans will have to face the fallout.
On Monday evening, the House of Representatives will reconvene after a week of recess following the House’s consequential move to pass billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region.
As lawmakers return to Washington, the question looming over Johnson is whether he will vote to remove him from office.
His decision to move the aid package drew wide praise from both sides of the aisle, with many Republicans and Democrats praising Johnson for his support for a key U.S. ally.
Mr Johnson defended his leadership in the face of growing threats, saying he would not resign and warning that a vote to remove him could cause chaos in the House of Commons.
However, many conservatives opposed the bill, particularly against sending more aid to Ukraine. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said Johnson “betrayed” Republican voters after passing the foreign aid package and threatened to vote to remove him if he did not resign.
“As I’ve said many times, I’m not walking around this building worrying about an eviction motion,” Johnson said in response to a question from CNN after the House of Commons passed the foreign aid bill. spoke in response to the question. “I have to do my job. I did it. I did what I believed was the right thing to do here to enable the House to do its will. And I said… Like, you’re doing the right thing and you can put your chips where you want.’
After Greene went home during recess after the House vote to hear from constituents, she asserted that more House Republicans would support the effort to remove Johnson.
But it is not yet clear when or if the vote to decide Mr Johnson’s political fate will take place.
Many Republicans fear the House Republican conference could be thrown into chaos again, following weeks of wrangling over a new speaker after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in an unprecedented vote last year. Learning from this, he opposes the expulsion vote.
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Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene laughs with reporters on the steps of the House of Representatives on April 18, 2024 in Washington, DC. Two days later, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed through aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan over their objections. Greene and others on the right wing of the party.
Greene filed a motion to remove the chair more than a month ago, but has yet to take the steps necessary to force a vote. So far, two other House Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, have publicly supported the effort.
A parliamentary vote to remove Johnson would require a majority vote. If a vote is triggered, a resolution may be introduced or a motion to fail may be filed and voted on first. This vote also requires only a simple majority vote.
For now, there is hope on Capitol Hill that enough Democrats will be willing to cross the aisle to help Mr. Johnson win the vote in the aftermath of passing the Ukraine aid.
During the recess, Johnson appeared to be trying to quell conservative opposition by emphasizing support for causes and positions that sway the Republican base. On Wednesday, he visited Columbia University and called on the president to resign during a tense press conference in which the crowd repeatedly interrupted speakers and at times drew loud boos as protests took place on campus.
The speaker’s visit drew some praise from critics within the Republican Party.
“I’m not sure if he’s going to do this,” said Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who has publicly criticized Johnson’s leadership. I wrote this on X: “While I have strong disagreements on spending and foreign aid, I applaud @SpeakerJohnson for what he did in Colombia.”
CNN’s Kit Maher and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
