House Speaker Mike Johnson faces ouster threat from Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'Warning'

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is facing the first direct threat to his speakership after conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., filed a motion to vacate against him on Friday for working with Democrats to fund the government.

"I filed the motion to vacate today but it's more of a warning and a pink slip," Green said, speaking in front of the House steps on Friday after filing the resolution.

The resolution is not privileged, meaning the House will not have to vote on it until Greene decides so. Once she notifies it as privileged, the lower chamber will have take it up for a vote within two legislative days. The lower chamber left for a two-week recess and Greene has declined to say when she would start the clock to force a vote on the floor.

"This is basically a warning and it's time for us to go through the process, take our time and find a new speaker of the House that will stand with Republicans and our Republican majority instead of standing with the Democrats," Greene continued.

It is unclear when − or if − the House will take up Greene's resolution. It is also uncertain if there is appetite among Republicans to eject another speaker after the historic ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. McCarthy's removal left the House paralyzed for three weeks last year as GOP lawmakers squabbled over who to elect as speaker.

"I'm not saying that it won't happen in two weeks or that it won't happen in a month or who knows when. But I am saying the clock has started and it's time for our conference to choose a new speaker," Greene said.

And even if Johnson were to be removed as speaker, after wielding the gavel for just under five months, there is no clear successor. During last year's speaker fight, Johnson was Republicans' fourth choice to become speaker after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.

Ousting Johnson would almost certainly throw the House into turmoil once again if Republicans are forced to look for a new speaker.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., one of the handful of Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, said he is "currently no" on removing Johnson, saying it was possible House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., could be elected speaker if a new election were held today. Burchett also said Greene was well aware of the possibility.

"If we did it today and she understands this, we would put Hakeem in the speaker's chair," Burchett said. McCarthy, he said, lied to him during his tenure as speaker while Johnson "has not told me a lie, so I'll just go with that."

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., an ultraconservative who didn't vote to oust McCarthy last year, demurred when asked if he would support vacating Johnson, responding: "We'll see."

It's also unclear if House Democrats would be willing to join Greene in ousting Johnson like they did with conservative rebels when they voted unanimously to remove McCarthy. While chaos roiled the House Republican conference last year during the speaker saga, Democrats bemoaned the dysfunction that's become the norm in the lower chamber.

The decision to save Johnson from a motion to vacate "wouldn't happen automatically," one House Democrat said on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly. If Greene forced a vote to vacate Johnson, they said "there will be vigorous conversations about what's best for our institution and our priorities."

Some House Republicans doubted Greene's ouster threat would be successful if she follows through. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., said the resolution was "disappointing but not surprising."

"It's not going to pass and I think she'll be surprised at the amount of the support the speaker has," Zinke said. The Montana Republican added he hopes there will be a rule change at some point to raise the threshold for any member to file a motion to vacate. As it stands right now in the House, it only takes one aggrieved lawmaker to attempt to oust the speaker.

One House Republican who spoke on the condition of anonymity had harsh words for Greene, saying "some members needs "to come the realization – like most children must – life isn't fair, they don't always get what they want."

“Speaker Johnson always listens to the concerns of members, but is focused on governing," Rah Shah, a spokesman for Johnson, said. "He will continue to push conservative legislation that secures our border, strengthens our national defense and demonstrates how we’ll grow our majority.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Johnson faces ouster threat from Marjorie Taylor Greene