Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasted House Speaker Mike Johnson in a letter to fellow Republicans Tuesday, accusing him of “complete and total surrender to Democrats” throughout his time with the gavel.
Ms. Greene explained in the letter why she opted to file a motion to vacate the chair, arguing that Mr. Johnson has failed to make good on the promises he made when he won the speaker race in October.
The firebrand Republican contended that Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, has gone against each of his seven conservative tenets that he listed to the GOP after winning the gavel.
“This has been a complete and total surrender to, if not complete and total lockstep with, the Democrats’ agenda that has angered our Republican base so much and given them very little reason to vote for a Republican House majority,” Ms. Greene wrote. “As a matter of fact, if we win the House this fall, it will only be because President Trump is on the ballot, not because we have earned it.”
Her attempt to oust Mr. Johnson has received little traction among her colleagues, who still remember the disarray from when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was booted by eight Republicans and all Democrats last year.
Some Republicans fear that if an ouster this time is successful, it would hand Democrats the majority in the House on a silver platter. Among those raising the alarm are Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who both voted to ax Mr. McCarthy.
Ms. Greene called foul on those fears, writing that Democrats would win the majority only if more Republicans retire early or conservatives vote in favor of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, to win the speakership.
“And no, electing a new Republican speaker will not give the majority to the Democrats. That only happens if more Republicans retire early or Republicans actually vote for Hakeem Jeffries,” she wrote. “It’s not complicated, it’s simple math.”
More Republicans retiring early is a possibility, but a more immediate reality is that the House GOP will soon have only a one-vote majority when Rep. Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Republican, leaves Congress this month.
Ms. Greene would have to force a vote on the motion to vacate the chair, a move she has not made. Though her letter was full of contempt for Mr. Johnson and his alleged abandonment of the conservative agenda, she made no promises on whether she would force the vote.
She did signal that how Mr. Johnson handles two key upcoming fights, one over sending more aid to Ukraine and the other over reauthorization of the federal government’s spying power, could determine his fate.
“And if these actions by the leader of our conference continue, then we are not a Republican Party, we are a Uniparty that is hell-bent on remaining on the path of self-inflicted destruction,” she wrote. “I will neither support nor take part in any of that, and neither will the people we represent.”
Source:Washington Times
