‘We’re going to have to talk as a conference about the rules,’ Greene says.
Lawmakers on both sides of the House are weighing their options after eight Republicans and 208 Democrats passed a motion, brought by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as House speaker on Tuesday.
The decision to remove Mr. McCarthy from the speakership came less than a year in. Mr. McCarthy only gained the speakership after the House held 15 votes in January, with enough Republican holdouts eventually agreeing to support his speakership bid.
Mr. McCarthy offered several concessions to shore up support for the speakership, including lowering the threshold for members of his party to trigger a motion to vacate him from the position. Now, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is among the Republicans calling to once again raise the threshold to vacate the next House speaker.
“We’re going to have to talk as a conference about the rules,” Ms. Greene told NTD on Thursday. “Motion to vacate is a tool to hold a speaker accountable. But we don’t want to continue going forward in a situation where they can just—anyone can motion to vacate at any time for any reason.”
Ms. Greene had supported Mr. McCarthy’s speakership but has also worked closely with Mr. Gaetz on several issues in the past. Both Ms. Greene and Mr. Gaetz had expressed discontent with how the House Republican majority has handled budget negotiations in recent weeks. Mr. Gaetz cited concerns about Mr. McCarthy’s leadership in those budget negotiations when he launched his effort to remove the House speaker this week.
Prior to the vote to vacate Mr. McCarthy from the speakership, Ms. Greene had referred to Mr. Gaetz as “my friend” and reiterated her concerns about the budget process, but urged her fellow Republicans to avoid what she called a “family feud” over the speakership.
Greene ‘Solidly Supporting’ Trump for Speaker
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) have already launched bids to replace Mr. McCarthy.
By Ryan Morgan
