On Politics

Wed May 1 2024

Sudiksha Kochi | Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter

@KochiSudiksha

Hey OnPolitics readers! Conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said on Wednesday she's calling up a vote next week to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., setting up a high-stakes clash inside her own party.

Greene's move is unlikely to succeed but still is certain to roil internal GOP tension as she continues to target Johnson, the most powerful elected Republican in the country, USA TODAY's Ken Tran reported.

📢 How has Johnson responded? Johnson has been defiant in the face of the existential threat to his speakership, saying he has no intention to resign from his post as a vast majority of his conference backs him. House Democrats on Tuesday promised to kill any effort from Greene to remove him from his speakership.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

⭕ Déjà vu: The lower chamber has already seen the ouster of its last GOP speaker, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Finding a replacement for the California Republican took three weeks amid significant GOP infighting, with former President Donald Trump demonstrating his power over the party by making public statements that undercut support for one of the leading candidates.

❓Will Democrats be enough to save Johnson? It's not clear whether Johnson could stay on as speaker with the help of Democrats. Conservatives and several other House Republicans have doubts publicly and privately at the prospects of a Republican speaker staying in power due to Democratic support.