Greene won't move against Johnson just yet

WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will not move to oust Speaker Mike Johnson Monday night and will instead continue to talk with him following a nearly two-hour meeting between the two and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., earlier in the day.

With House Democratic leadership vowing to vote to table Greene’s motion, it appears unlikely that Johnson is in any real danger of the fate that befell former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., at least for now.

Greene, R-Ga., said she would huddle with Johnson, R-La., again Tuesday morning. She introduced a resolution to vacate the speaker’s chair in March but has not moved to make it privileged, which would require a vote within two legislative days.

“I just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives,” she said. “We’re talking to him again tomorrow based on our discussion today, and I’ll have more information.”

Johnson said after the meeting that he shared the frustration felt by Greene and other conservatives about lack of movement on some of their top issues. But he said the party’s slim majority — which dropped to one seat after the Monday night swearing-in of Rep.-elect Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y. — makes it very difficult to pass conservative priorities, and he stressed the importance of Republicans winning this November’s elections.

Greene has said that Johnson is a “Democrat speaker” and is particularly upset that Johnson brought to the floor compromise fiscal 2024 appropriations legislation and a war supplemental spending package that included aid for Ukraine.

But only Massie and Arizona’s Paul Gosar have publicly backed Greene’s effort, reflecting support for Johnson among most House Republicans. And most in the conference want to avoid the chaos that followed McCarthy’s removal last fall, when it took three weeks for Republicans to rally around Johnson.