Rep. Greene and Speaker Johnson search for offramp from ouster vote
WASHINGTON — Embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson and far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene met for a second day at the Capitol on Tuesday, political adversaries trying to engineer an off-ramp from the escalating standoff over her threat for a vote to oust him from office.
The stakes are high for both.
Republican Johnson is hoping to avoid a politically fraught outcome in which he would keep his job, but only after relying on Democrats who have pledged their support to save him, at least this time.
Greene, a top ally of Donald Trump, faces her own potentially embarrassing setback if her motion to vacate the speaker fizzles, as is expected.
“Right now the ball is in Mike Johnson’s court,” said Greene, R-Northwest Georgia. “I am so done with words. For me, it’s all about actions.”
In a brazen move, Greene has forced her way to the negotiating table and outlined four demands — including no more funding for Ukraine as it fights Russia and an end to the Justice Department special counsel’s legal cases against the indicted former president, Trump.
Throughout Johnson has tried to portray himself, six months on the job since the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as in control of the situation, and not beholden to the hard-right forces that have created chaos throughout this session of Congress.
“Look, they’ve been very productive discussions. that’s what I’ll say” Johnson, R-La., said after Tuesday’s 90 minute meeting.
Johnson downplayed the idea that there was any deal to be made, saying the meetings are simply part of his open door policy to hear out the ideas of fellow Republican lawmakers, as is his practice as the new leader.
“It’s not a negotiation,” Johnson said.
But it’s clear whether or not Greene proceeds with her plan to call the vote this week — or lets the moment slip away — the threat of removal will trail the speaker’s tenure and force him to consider concessions to the far-right forces to keep members satisfied.
Greene said she had “high expectations” the speaker will deliver.
“This is what people all over the country are screaming for,” Greene said Tuesday on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. “They want to see this vote.”
Another hardline congressman, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, has joined in the meetings and warned Johnson not to draw out a decision.
“If his plan is to drag this out so the pressure comes off of this, and to drag it out for weeks or days even, without making some movement in our direction, then he would just be far better off to have this vote and get it behind him,” Massie said.