United States House Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene announced on Wednesday that she will push for a mandatory vote next week on whether to impeach Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson responded by calling the motion a mistake. Democratic leaders have also stated that they will vote against this motion.
Greene stated at a press conference held outside the Capitol on Wednesday, “I believe every congressperson needs to take a vote, regardless of the consequences. Therefore, next week, I will request this impeachment motion to be voted on.”
“I’m excited about it. I can’t wait to see my Republican Conference show their cards and show who we are. Because this is the treatment that voters deserve,” Greene said.
Greene referenced Johnson’s performance during his six months as Speaker, noting that despite his background as a hardliner Republican leader, he has been supporting Democratic priorities.
The Republican congresswoman also mentioned that she had previously introduced this motion without calling for a vote. She stated, “This is a warning, asking him to stop serving the Democratic Party, support our Republican Conference, and support our agenda. And he has not done that.”
Greene initially submitted this motion nearly a month ago when Johnson was planning the pathway for foreign aid and other key legislation. Since then, a few Republican representatives have expressed their support for impeaching the Speaker.
According to the current rules of the House Republican Conference, once a Republican member submits a motion to impeach the Speaker, a full house vote must be held. As the motion to impeach the Speaker only requires a simple majority of 218 votes to pass, and the Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the House, a successful impeachment can be achieved with only a few Republican initiators if they lack Democratic support. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was impeached last October under similar circumstances.
Greene has been pressuring Johnson on the issue of impeachment for weeks, but after former President Trump announced his support for Johnson, it was speculated that Greene, a staunch supporter of Trump, might withdraw her motion. Faced with threats, Johnson has been defending his leadership position, stating he will not resign and warning that voting to impeach him could lead to chaos in the House.
Following Greene’s announcement to further push her motion on Wednesday, Johnson stated in a statement, “This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for this institution, and wrong for this country.”
In an interview aired by The Hill on Wednesday, Johnson stated that Greene is not a “serious legislator.”
“I won’t spend much time thinking about her,” the Speaker continued. “I have to do my job, we do the right things, and we let things take their course. That’s my philosophy. That’s our way of governance.”
Most Republicans oppose impeaching Johnson, not wanting to see the House Republican Conference fall into chaos again, as was the case with last year’s impeachment of the Speaker.
House Democratic leadership had previously stated that if the motion to impeach the Speaker arises, Democrats will vote to help Johnson retain his position.
In a statement on Tuesday, House Democratic leaders said, “We will table the motion to impeach Speaker Marjorie Taylor Greene. If she activates this motion, it will not succeed.”
While Greene’s initial motion does not necessarily guarantee a vote, after she submitted it as a “privileged resolution,” action must be taken, with House leaders having to deliberate within two legislative days and submit it for a full house vote.