Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson over Ukraine aid package: US: Business Times

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) has intensified her efforts to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) from office, demanding that he either resign or be voted in his ouster following the passage of a $95 billion foreign aid package, including $61 billion for Ukraine and regional partners. Greene, along with at least two other Republican lawmakers, have strongly opposed Johnson’s decision to advance the legislation, which passed the House of Representatives on Saturday with the support of 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans.

In an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Greene declared, “Mike Johnson’s speakership is over.” He must do the right thing by resigning and allowing us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn’t, he will be evicted.” The Georgian hardliner’s threat to force a vote on Johnson’s removal from the presidency comes because the chairman’s majority is so small he can’t afford it afford to lose Republicans on a party-line vote.

Despite mounting pressure from his right flank, Johnson has remained steadfast in his decision to move forward with the foreign aid package, which closely resembles a Senate-passed version. In a statement after the bill’s passage, Johnson said: “I’m not walking around this building because I’m worried about a motion to vacate. I have to do my job. … I’ve done what I think is the right thing here is to make the House do its will. And like I said, you do the right thing, and you let the chips fall where they may.’

Should Greene and her supporters follow through on their threat to force a vote on Johnson’s impeachment, the chairman will likely have to rely on Democratic support to maintain his position. While Johnson insists he has not asked any Democrats for help, senior Republicans believe they will be able to rely on support from across the aisle to quickly quash any motion to vacate the speaker’s seat.

Some Democrats have already expressed their willingness to bail out Johnson, especially after his decision to defy his right flank and advance the foreign aid package. Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) said on ABC’s “This Week” that he would vote against a motion to remove Johnson from the presidency, adding, “I’m a progressive Democrat and I think you’ll see some progressive Democrats who do that, I disagree with Chairman Johnson on many issues and I have been very critical of him, but he did the right thing here and he deserves to keep his job until the end of this term.”

When questioned about her decision to delay the move to leave on Saturday, Greene claimed she was “responsible for this all along” but suggested the move will happen regardless of Johnson’s actions. “All of this was possible because of Mike Johnson’s betrayal,” said Greene, who accused the chairman of betraying Republican voters.

The foreign aid package, which includes funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, has exposed deep divisions within the Republican Party. While some members, like Greene, have strongly opposed the legislation, arguing that it prioritizes foreign aid over domestic issues, others have supported the bill as a means to provide crucial aid to key U.S. allies.

As the legislation heads to the Senate for final approval, ongoing infighting within the House Republican leadership threatens to further destabilize the party and undermine its ability to govern effectively. The outcome of this internal conflict will likely have significant consequences for the future of Speaker Johnson’s leadership and the direction of the Republican Party as a whole.

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