Johnson’s ascendancy to the highest position in the House last fall was made possible by certain assurances, including that he would avoid pushing votes on lengthy spending bills and make securing America’s southern border a top priority. Under his time as speaker, Johnson has done precisely the opposite, passing multi-thousand page Omnibus bills, enacting no meaningful border reform, and forming alliances with Democrats, who may now be key to him keeping his job. Amid the wave of discontent from within his own party, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is working to force a vote on a motion to vacate to oust Johnson and have him replaced. This would be the second time a House speaker was removed within only a year. Johnson’s predecessor was former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was removed as speaker after serving less than a year. McCarthy’s removal was the first time in U.S. history that the House voted to remove its leader. House Democrats have announced they would table any motion to vacate that is brought to the floor. Greene filed the motion last month, but so far has not yet triggered a vote on it. Not all of Greene’s colleagues believe the effort will succeed. “She’s going to lose. I don’t know why she’s doing this because the votes aren’t there. She’s going to lose the motion to vacate, and I don’t know why she’s doing it,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said during a recent interview. Only two lawmakers — Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) — have expressed support for the bid to replace Johnson. “I’m hearing the same kinds of rumors,” Mace said. “I hope that’s not the case. Again, I want us to unite the party and show the American people that we can lead,” she added. “And how we’re going to lead in shutting down the border, how we’re going to stop the invasion, how we’re going to stem the tide of inflation and massive spending that’s happened over the past years and decades, and what we’re going to do to make sure that peoples’ lives are more affordable, more prosperous, and more successful. That’s the message that we need to focus on as a party.” On May 6, Greene and Johnson were scheduled to meet privately for a one-on-one meeting, according to unnamed sources who spoke with ABC News.U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing sharp criticism over what his detractors say is his inability or unwillingness to follow through on promises he made in order to secure the speakership.
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