US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, waits to speak during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 29, 2024.
Drew Angerer | AFP | Getty Images
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has filed a motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, three sources told NBC News, doing so just as the House voted to avoid a government shutdown.
Johnson, R-La., has served as speaker for five months, having taken over for Kevin McCarthy who was ousted from the top job under a similar process.
It was not immediately clear how the House would act on her motion, which requires just a majority vote to remove the speaker. Greene, R-Ga., did not file the motion as privileged — which would force a vote within two legislative days — but instead as regular motion, which could be referred to committee where it would likely languish.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who forced the vote to remove McCarthy as speaker, told reporters on Thursday that he doesn’t support a motion to vacate the chair and evict Johnson.
“If we vacated this speaker, we’d end up with a Democrat,” Gaetz told reporters. “When I vacated the last one, I made a promise to the country that we would not end up with the Democrat speaker. And I was right. I couldn’t make that promise again.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks to reporters outside of the U.S. Capitol Building during a vote on legislation pertaining to TikTok on March 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images
Asked how that could happen, Gaetz said: “We’d have Republicans cross over. I worry that we’ve got Republicans who would vote for Hakeem Jeffries at this point. I really do. I take no joy in saying that. But you can only vacate the speaker if you know that the party leadership won’t change hands. I knew that with certainty last time. I don’t know it with certainty this time.”
Gaetz’s move against McCarthy led to the first time in U.S. history a House speaker was removed in the middle of a session. It sparked weeks of chaos in the thin Republican majority as they scrambled to find a replacement before settling on Johnson.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who voted to oust McCarthy said he wouldn’t support a motion to remove Johnson Friday. “No, he’s not lied to me,” he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
