A second House Republican announced he will back ousting Speaker Mike Johnson for his Ukraine aid and other policies. Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, a member of Johnson's Rules Committee, told the speaker in a closed-door House Republican meeting on Tuesday that he is co-sponsoring a resolution by far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to remove Johnson, R-La., from the top job.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and R-Ky Rep. Thomas Massie.Getty Images "He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP speaker," Massie wrote on X, referring to 2015 GOP Speaker John Boehner, who resigned midway through his term amid a conservative rebellion.
Trump's lawyers and prosecutors argue over 2020 social media and 'lock him up' posts. See what you missed on trial Day 2. In addition to Ukraine help, Massie criticized Johnson for adopting a big government budget deal this year and a bill to reauthorize a controversial intelligence spying program last week.
Some folks ride him like a horse. "They don't care about the horse falling "Massie said. "I do because it's going to throw our conference into turmoil." Massie informed reporters that Johnson told House Republicans in the room that he would not quit.
Johnson can afford only two GOP defections if Greene files her motion as "privileged," forcing a floor vote to remove the speaker. The GOP majority is thin. At least three Republicans and all Democrats must vote for the motion to vacate to remove him.
To prevent the House from falling into anarchy, several Democrats have stated they will vote to save Johnson, as they did when conservatives removed then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, resulting in three weeks of instability and Johnson's elevation.
Seven months before the presidential election, it's uncertain how many Republicans would support ousting Johnson. Conservatives like Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Troy Nehls, R-Texas, oppose a motion to vacate.
Massie's support for Johnson's removal is noteworthy. On Capitol Hill, the Rules Committee is called the "speaker's committee," and its members follow the speaker's orders. McCarthy appointed Massie to the powerful panel last year, and Johnson has had to bypass the Rules Committee several times to advance important legislation.
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