Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was uncharacteristically quiet when she left the House chamber Tuesday, April 30. She told reporters, “I’m headed back to my office,” and kept walking just hours after Democrats announced they would not join her in voting to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., effectively saving his job.
Democratic leadership said it would vote to table the motion to vacate, and added, “If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed.”
“We don’t want to turn the clock back and let Marjorie Taylor Greene dictate the schedule and calendar of what’s ahead,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said when explaining the decision. “We want to turn the page and focus on the pressing issues that everyday Americans care about.”
Greene posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she felt Johnson should resign and switch parties. She also hinted she may bring the motion forward anyway.
“I’m a big believer in recorded votes,” Greene wrote.
Johnson assured reporters he did not ask the Democrats for help.
“I’ve not requested assistance from anyone,” Johnson said. “I’m not focused on that at all. I’m focused on getting the job done and getting the legislation passed. There’s no deals at all.”
Conservative Republicans are frustrated with Johnson because he used Democratic votes to pass key pieces of legislation like Ukraine aid and government funding bills. He also didn’t include border security as part of the deal. However, even conservatives said they wouldn’t support the motion to vacate.
“It makes no difference to me if it’s Hakeem Jeffries as speaker or Mike Johnson right now,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said. “You know I want Speaker Mike Johnson to do the absolute best. I like Mike, I supported him to be speaker and it’s just really sad seeing the policies that are coming out.”
Those same Republicans also said Democratic support does not weaken Johnson.
“I don’t think it makes him weaker,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said. “I mean, Mike’s, you know, he’s under siege in a lot of different areas and I think he feels that now.”
Moderate Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., flipped the script on conservatives who said Johnson is acting like the Democratic speaker.
“Well, it would require Democrats voting with a handful of Republicans to remove the speaker,” Lawler said.
Part of the conservatives’ calculus for standing behind Johnson is the math. If Johnson were ousted, Republicans don’t have a viable replacement. Those members are also concerned that if any more Republicans resign, they’ll hand the majority to Democrats and the gavel to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“Absolutely,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “Had the margin been bigger, we wouldn’t have had this, y’all wouldn’t be talking to me. You’d be asking me about ‘How can I be so outstanding at congressional baseball, but still be third string?’”
