Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) shook the halls of Congress on Friday with a bold move aimed directly at Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). She’s lobbed a procedural grenade that could end up yanking the Speaker’s gavel right out of his hands. If this situation parallels the dramatic departure of Kevin McCarthy from his Speaker role, we may expect to see legislative progress come to a screeching halt.
It is important to note that this isn’t an immediate showdown. The motion MTG has dropped doesn’t jump straight to a vote. It’s a tactical play, similar to the one Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) pulled off last October, which cut Kevin McCarthy’s term as Speaker short after just nine short months. Greene made her move just as the House was gearing up to vote on a colossal $1.2 trillion omnibus spending bill—a hefty piece of legislation over a thousand pages long, sprung on lawmakers in the wee hours of Thursday morning, only for Johnson to rush it to a vote by Friday.
When discussing the bill, this is what MTG had to say:
“The bill that we were forced to vote on forced Republicans to choose between funding to pay our soldiers, and in doing so, funding late-term abortion. This bill was basically a dream and a wish list for Democrats.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
Greene has the option to escalate her motion to “privileged” status, compelling the House to take it up. However, with the spending bill now a done deal and Congress off on a two-week break, the dust won’t settle anytime soon. By the time they’re back, the buzz around Johnson’s leadership—or lack thereof—will be impossible to ignore.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bold maneuver against Speaker Mike Johnson is a telling sign of the deep fissures within the Republican Party itself. Republicans are facing a Democratic opposition that seems more united in their goals than ever, and yet, within our ranks, we’re at an impasse, pulling in different directions. It’s a situation that doesn’t just spell trouble; it’s a veritable storm brewing on our horizon.
The parallels to the dramatic departure of Kevin McCarthy from his Speaker role are hard to ignore. McCarthy’s exit wasn’t just a changing of the guard; it brought legislative progress to a sudden stop, showcasing how internal strife can paralyze us. Now, with Greene’s strategic move, we’re potentially staring down the barrel of a similar gun. If we find ourselves mired in another leadership battle, both the legislative agenda and the American people will suffer.
