Marjorie Taylor Greene plans for vote next week on Speaker Mike Johnson's ouster

By Victor Reklaitis

House speaker's job looks safe as Democrats say they'll block effort to oust him

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Wednesday she'll aim for a vote next week on her effort to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson from his post, even though her fellow Republican is expected to survive the move after House Democrats voiced their support for him on Tuesday.

"I think every member of Congress needs to take that vote, and let the chips fall where they may, and so next week I am going to be calling this motion to vacate - absolutely calling it," the Georgia GOP congresswoman said during a news conference.

She filed a motion in late March that could remove the speaker from his post, and she has criticized the Louisiana Republican for working with Democrats last month to approve aid for Ukraine and other U.S. allies.

The three top Democrats in the House of Representatives said they would thwart Greene's effort now that Ukraine has received additional assistance for its fight against the invasion that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched in 2022.

"At this moment, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction. We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Motion to Vacate the Chair," the three top House Democrats - Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar - said in a statement Tuesday.

"If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed," they said.

Last October, House Democrats did not support then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, after he faced a motion to vacate from a fellow Republican. He was ousted from the post.

-Victor Reklaitis

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-01-24 1011ET

Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.