Greene's ouster attempt of House Speaker Johnson is tabled

WASHINGTON — The House overwhelmingly voted to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attempt to oust Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday evening, with nearly all Republicans and most Democrats coming to Johnson’s rescue.

The final tally was 359-43, with 11 Republicans and 32 Democrats voting against the motion to table Greene’s resolution. Seven Democrats voted “present.”

Greene, R-Ga., made her long-telegraphed move against Johnson after reading a lengthy litany of complaints about his tenure in office, which began in late October, on the floor. She offered her resolution to declare the office of the speaker vacant during a break in other legislative business.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tried to dispense with the clerk’s formal reading of the resolution on the floor, which is typically done by unanimous consent. Is this case, there was an objection and the entire resolution was read out.

Then Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., a onetime speaker contender himself, offered his motion to table Greene’s resolution.

Greene has said that Johnson is a “Democrat speaker” and is particularly upset that Johnson brought to the floor compromise fiscal 2024 appropriations legislation and a war supplemental package that included aid for Ukraine.

Greene initially introduced the measure after the passage of the second of the two appropriations packages, leading to weeks of speculation of if and when she would make her move.

But former President Donald Trump intervened and tried to persuade Greene to back down, according to reports, leading to speculation that the situation might be defused.

It had appeared that Greene and her ally Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had put their effort on pause Tuesday, after meetings with Johnson on Monday and Tuesday in which they delivered four “requests” to the speaker. They were joined by Arizona’s Paul Gosar, the only other Republican to publicly back the effort.

The trio is asking that Johnson bring legislation to the floor only that has the support of a majority of the conference; oppose any additional Ukraine aid; defund the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith; and include a 1% across-the-board spending cut in a continuing resolution that will be needed past Sept. 30 if all fiscal 2025 appropriations bills are not passed in time.

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