Another Republican joins effort to oust Johnson, putting the speaker in real peril
A third House Republican has signed onto an effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power, giving his opponents the votes they'd need to remove the Republican leader unless Democrats stepped in to save him.
WASHINGTON — A third House Republican has signed onto an effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power, giving his opponents the votes they would need to remove the Republican leader unless Democrats step in to save him.
Rep. Paul Gosar, of Arizona, signed onto the "motion to vacate" authored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, both Republicans said Friday. If brought to the floor as a privileged resolution, it would force a vote within two legislative days on whether to oust Johnson as speaker. A simple majority vote would be needed to succeed.
Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, joined the motion to vacate earlier this week but has said he doesn't want to force a vote on it, instead pushing for Johnson to resign. The three Republicans and other hard-right members of the conference are furious at the speaker for bringing up votes to provide aid for Ukraine, particularly without U.S. border security provisions attached.
“We need a Speaker who puts America first rather than bending to the reckless demands of the warmongers, neo-cons and the military industrial complex making billions from a costly and endless war half a world away,” Gosar said in a statement Friday.
If brought to the floor, those three Republican votes would be enough to remove Johnson as speaker if all Democrats vote against him. Some Democrats have indicated they would step in to save Johnson, but Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Friday that "the pre-requisite to the conversation" about saving Johnson is that the foreign aid bills pass "in totality."
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