Second House Republican Joins Effort to Oust Speaker Johnson

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) in joining Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in her effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

For Context: Greene is threatening to force a house vote to oust Johnson from the speakership, six months after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted. Greene filed a motion to vacate last month. This drama within the party comes as House Republicans’ majority is set to shrink to one seat once Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) resigns at the end of this week.

Details: Massie’s statement follows Johnson’s announcement that the House will vote on separate bills to approve aid to Ukraine, Israel and other overseas allies. Greene and Massie have voiced their disapproval of these bills, arguing the money would be better spent addressing the crisis at the southern border.

Key Quotes: On Tuesday, Massie stated in a social media post, “I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by [Greene]. He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker.” Speaking with reporters, Johnston said, “I am not resigning and it is in my view an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply trying to do our job.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum noted that some House Democrats have indicated they would bail Johnson out if a vote is forced.