Conservatives dangle threat of ousting Speaker Johnson after foreign aid vote

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s job appeared to be safe for the immediate future after ushering through a foreign aid package Saturday, but a few conservatives say they’re weighing a threat to oust him in the future.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, told reporters after the passage of the foreign aid package that she may bring up a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a vote that could take away the speaker’s gavel from the Louisiana Republican.

Ms. Greene won’t say when, or if, she’ll carry out the move, but she has the backing of two additional conservatives, Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Thomas Massie of Kentucky who say they would vote with her.

Ms. Greene said passing the $61 billion Ukraine aid portion of the package with more Democrat than Republican votes was Mr. Johnson’s “third betrayal” of the GOP conference. The first was his push to fund the government in March without cutting spending or including border security provisions and the second violation was his legislation last week reauthorizing a key government foreign surveillance tool that many in the GOP say is being used to spy on Americans.

Ms. Greene and 111 Republicans voted against the Ukraine aid package, most angry it wasn’t linked to significant U.S. border security provisions.

Mr. Johnson, Ms. Greene said, “did this bull—— in here on the House floor, a foreign war package that does nothing for America. It’s unbelievable.”
 
She added, “I’m thankful that America gets to see who this man is. I’m thankful that America gets to see who the people that voted for this [are] because this is the only way it’s going to change.”

Mr. Johnson has so far refused to let her threat weigh on his decision-making, and maintained the same stance after the vote on Saturday.

“I don’t walk around this building being worried about a motion to vacate. I have to do my job,” he said. “We did. I’ve done here what I believe to be the right thing and that is to allow the House to work its will.”

Many Republicans were infuriated by the results of the Ukraine vote, particularly when Democrats waved Ukrainian flags on the House floor after it passed.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, snagged a microphone at the lectern and shouted for Democrats to “put those damn flags down,” while Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado Republican, berated her colleagues across the aisle.

“They’re saying that that is a national security priority and that’s why they’re waving these flags,” Ms. Boebert said. “No, our southern border, that is a national security priority. America is our priority. They want to go represent Ukraine? Go the hell on and represent Ukraine.”

Though many Republicans were frustrated with Mr. Johnson’s decision to not tie Ukraine aid to border security policy, most don’t have the appetite to oust him and undergo the painful process of finding a new speaker.

Rep. Chip Roy, a sharp critic of the speaker, didn’t want to talk about whether he supports a motion to boot Mr. Johnson, but called him out for relying on Democrats to pass the bill.

“That’s a massive problem, and it was fairly predictable, although it was gonna be close,” the Texas Republican said. He compared it to the government spending bill Mr. Johnson ushered through a few weeks ago, which prevented a temporary government shutdown but excluded GOP priorities.

“It’s just not the right direction,” Mr. Roy said.

Mr. Massie wants Mr. Johnson to resign instead of pulling the trigger to boot him, which he said would give fellow Republicans time to find a replacement that could help the GOP hold on to its majority in November. As of now, Mr. Johnson is seen as vulnerable, thanks to the ouster threats.

“He is not able to raise money because he is the lame duck,” Mr. Massie said. “We need to have somebody in that position that can raise the money and grow our majority instead of losing it. He’s not that guy.”

Not all Republicans are upset with Mr. Johnson’s decision to barrel ahead with the foreign aid package, which also provided money to Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists and funds for Indo-Pacific allies.

Rep. Don Bacon, Nebraska Republican, applauded the speaker for putting the divisive legislation on the floor, and noted that Mr. Johnson is an “honorable man” who still wants to move border legislation but realizes the reality of Democrats controlling the White House and Senate.

“I think he made the logical conclusion that just because we’re not getting this stuff over here, and failing, why should these also fail?” Mr. Bacon said.