House Backs Speaker Johnson, Rejects Greene’s Removal Motion

In a significant display of bipartisan support, the House of Representatives decisively backed Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defeating a motion brought by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him. The vote, which saw 359 members in favor of tabling Greene’s resolution and only 43 against, underscored a strong cross-party consensus to maintain Johnson’s leadership.

The motion to remove Johnson stemmed from Greene’s discontent with his handling of a $1.2 trillion government funding package aimed at averting a partial government shutdown. Greene’s initial motion in March was not considered “privileged,” but she triggered it for a vote on Wednesday, leading to its resounding defeat.

Support for Johnson came from both sides of the aisle, with nearly 200 Republicans joining Democrats in voting to support him. Only 32 Democrats and 11 Republicans, including Greene, voted against tabling the motion, highlighting the limited backing for Greene’s efforts.

Following the vote, Johnson expressed gratitude for the vote of confidence from his colleagues, calling the attempt to remove him “misguided.” He emphasized the need to move beyond personality-driven politics and focus on substantive issues.

Johnson’s ascension to the speakership came after Republicans removed ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who resigned from Congress after losing his position due to his bipartisan approach to governance. Despite initially supporting Johnson’s election, Greene and other far-right members have criticized him for working with Democrats on legislative matters.

Before the vote, House Democrats had signaled their support for Johnson, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., vowing to resist what he termed “MAGA extremism,” a reference to the far-right ideology espoused by some members of the Republican Party.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the motion after the vote, urging Republicans to vote to table it and expressing his admiration for Greene. He cautioned against disunity within the party, emphasizing the need for cohesion to avoid portraying chaos to the public.