Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is heaping a contemporary set of criticism on Speaker Mike Johnson because the Home prepares to reconvene Tuesday, laying out an inventory of grievances in opposition to the Louisiana Republican in explaining her determination to file a movement to oust him.
In a five-page letter despatched to colleagues Tuesday, Greene — who’s threatening to drive a vote on eradicating Johnson’s gavel — laid into the Speaker for a litany of causes, together with his dealing with of presidency funding and his plan to maneuver on Ukraine help, arguing that he’s not correctly serving the GOP convention.
“I cannot tolerate our elected Republican Speaker Mike Johnson serving the Democrats and the Biden administration and serving to them obtain their insurance policies which are destroying our nation,” Greene mentioned. “He’s throwing our personal razor-thin majority into chaos by not serving his personal GOP convention that elected him.”
“With a lot at stake for our future and the way forward for our kids, I cannot tolerate such a Republican ‘management,’” she later added. “This has been a whole and complete give up to, if not full and complete lockstep with, the Democrats’ agenda that has angered our Republican base a lot and given them little or no purpose to vote for a Republican Home majority.”
Greene quoted the seven “key priorities” Johnson laid out when operating for the Speakership in October — restore belief, advance a complete coverage agenda, promote particular person members, interact members, successfully message, construct and make the most of exterior coalitions, develop and develop our majority — earlier than slamming him for, in her eyes, not following via on any of them.
“Mike Johnson has sadly not lived as much as a single one in every of his self-imposed tenets,” Greene wrote.
The searing letter from Greene is the newest improvement within the months-long feud between her and Johnson, which hit a fever pitch late final month after the Georgia Republican filed a movement to vacate in opposition to the Speaker. The transfer got here because the Home was voting on a $1.2 trillion funding invoice to avert a partial authorities shutdown, which conservatives abhorred.
Greene has not mentioned when she plans to set off a vote on her ouster decision, calling it a “warning” and noting that it could be a “rolling difficulty.” However the transfer was largely considered as a sign that Johnson mustn’t put Ukraine help on the ground — which the Speaker has mentioned he plans to do, sparking frustrations amongst hard-line conservatives, together with Greene.
Late final month, Johnson mentioned the Home would handle requested overseas help — which incorporates funding for Ukraine — ”proper after” lawmakers return to Washington on Tuesday following the two-week Easter recess.
In her letter Tuesday, Greene famous that Johnson voted in opposition to Ukraine help earlier than he received the Speaker’s gavel, reiterating that Congress ought to handle the state of affairs on the southern border earlier than sending help to Kyiv — a well-known GOP speaking level.
“The final time we voted on Ukraine funding was September 28, 2023, and nearly all of Republicans voted in opposition to giving Ukraine $300 million by 117-101 votes. Mike Johnson was one of many NO votes,” Greene mentioned.
“Mike Johnson is publicly saying funding Ukraine is now his prime precedence when lower than 7 months in the past he was in opposition to it,” she added. “The American folks disagree— they imagine our border is the one border price preventing a struggle over, and I agree with them.”
She additionally tore into Johnson’s dealing with of the fiscal 2024 authorities funding course of — which wrapped up late final month — knocking him for giving members lower than 72 hours to overview the second minibus; chiding him for shifting two-step persevering with resolutions that made the appropriations course of “much more convoluted;” and denouncing him for not securing extra GOP wins within the pair of packages.
“This was actually a two-part omnibus, cut up into two minibuses, crammed down our throats, handed underneath suspension of the principles, breaking the 72-hour rule, giving us someday to learn over a thousand pages, and tying our fingers behind our backs by not permitting us to make any amendments. Guidelines? What guidelines? Keep in mind the dear guidelines?” Greene mentioned. “Apparently, they not matter to Mike Johnson, although he promised to abide by them and implement them.”
“Mike Johnson labored with Chuck Schumer moderately than with us, and gave Joe Biden and the Democrats the whole lot they needed—no completely different from how a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries would have achieved,” she later added.
Johnson commented on Greene’s motion-to-vacate effort final week, telling CNN in an announcement “I respect Marjorie” and responding to a few of her qualms.
“Despite our Republican majority of only a single seat in only one chamber of Congress, we’re nonetheless preventing this administration day-after-day to make coverage modifications. A shutdown wouldn’t serve our occasion or help us in our mission of saving the republic by rising our majority, nor will one other movement to vacate,” Johnson mentioned.
“As I’ve at all times mentioned, nationwide safety begins at our southern border. Any funding of the President’s supplemental request ought to be premised on significant coverage to assist the American folks and eventually handle the invasion at our southern border,” he added.
Greene on Tuesday additionally addressed criticism she has obtained after submitting her movement to vacate decision. Quite a lot of Republicans lashed out at Greene after she filed the measure, arguing that such a gambit may hand the Speaker’s gavel to a Democrat.
Greene, nonetheless, hit again at that, brushing apart the prospect that her effort may result in a Democratic Speaker and, as a substitute, laying the blame on the cadre of Republicans who’ve give up Congress early, which has narrowed the Home GOP’s already tiny majority.
“And no, electing a brand new Republican Speaker is not going to give the bulk to the Democrats. That solely occurs if extra Republicans retire early, or Republicans truly vote for Hakeem Jeffries,” Greene mentioned. “It’s not sophisticated, it’s basic math.”
