GOP rebels demand specific actions from Johnson, threatening to remove him as speaker

Conservative representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia and Thomas Massie from Kentucky met with House Speaker Mike Johnson behind closed doors for a two-hour discussion on Monday afternoon. The purpose of their meeting was to push for a House-wide vote on Johnson’s removal. Greene and Massie, who had promised to force this vote, did not disclose details to reporters immediately after the meeting but mentioned that they would continue discussions with Johnson on Tuesday.

One of the demands put forth by Greene and Massie is for Johnson to commit to preventing any legislation from reaching a House-wide vote unless it has the support of a majority of House GOP members. This informal provision, known as the Hastert rule, is named after a former Republican speaker.

Furthermore, the conservative representatives are urging Johnson to adhere to the Massie rule in terms of government funding. This rule would mandate automatic federal spending cuts if an agreement is not reached on fiscal year 2025 funding by the September 30 deadline.

Rep. Paul Gosar from Arizona, the third Republican who supported Greene’s motion to vacate the chair, also expressed his views to reporters on Monday evening. Gosar emphasized that he would prefer Johnson to have more time to adjust his approach before any decisions were made.

Greene is spearheading the effort to remove Johnson from his position, citing conservative discontent over his cooperation on crucial legislation concerning government funding and foreign aid. Greene and Massie have committed to pushing for the vote sometime during the current week.

In order to initiate this process, Greene would need to categorize her resolution as “privileged.” This designation would require the House to vote on the resolution itself within two legislative days or first decide on disregarding it through a procedure known as “tabling.”

The House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, has stated that he would obstruct any motion to vacate the chair against Johnson, indicating potential roadblocks for the conservative representatives’ efforts. Democrats have promised to table the resolution whenever it emerges, a move that could prevent Johnson’s removal while further provoking conservative frustrations.

Following their meeting, Johnson described his conversation with Massie and Greene as “lengthy” and “constructive.” Johnson acknowledged the frustrations expressed by conservatives and indicated a desire to advance more conservative policies regularly. However, he highlighted the challenges faced due to the smallest majority in U.S. history, with a one-vote margin.