Speaker Mike Johnson Claps Back at Marjorie Taylor Greene, Says She Is Not a ‘Serious Lawmaker’

AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

In another turn of events in the ongoing saga in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has responded to continued threats made by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as she attacks his leadership in Congress.

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Johnson’s response comes as Greene declared that she would be forcing a vote on a motion to vacate to remove him as speaker. In an interview recorded Tuesday night that will air at 6 p.m. Wednesday on NewsNation’s “The Hill,” Johnson was asked whether he believes Greene is a “serious lawmaker.”

“I don’t think she's proving to be, no,” Johnson said in a preview of the interview.

“I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about her,” he continued. "I got to do my job, and we do the right thing, and we let the chips fall where they may. And that's my philosophy, that's how we're governing."

“We're going to keep the train on the tracks and show the American people not just what we're against, but what we're for. That there's a conservative agenda that is necessary to get the country back on the right track, and the way for us to do that is to keep and grow the House majority,” Johnson added.

"Descending into chaos and closing the House down and vacating the chair again is exactly the opposite of what needs to happen," he said.

The clash between the two lawmakers stems from disagreements over key pieces of legislation, specifically foreign aid, spending, and the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act (FISA). Greene has slammed Johnson for approving billions more dollars in aid to Ukraine, a gargantuan spending package, and casting the tiebreaking vote to pass FISA reauthorization without a provision to require federal agencies to obtain a warrant before spying on an American citizen.

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Johnson has consistently waved off Greene’s threats, saying he is focused on carrying out his duties as speaker.

Despite Greene’s vow to force a vote on the motion to vacate, Johnson appears to have nothing to worry about. There is not enough political will among House Republicans to force his ouster and Democrats have already said they will support him remaining in the position if Greene pulls the trigger.

The internal conflict is a microcosm of the split between conservative and moderate House Republicans. The latter have been pushing for less spending, more attention to the border crisis, and advocating against sending more aid to Ukraine. However, this faction of the party is outnumbered by the moderates. Johnson has been playing a balancing act, trying to appease both groups. However, to get the foreign aid bills passed, he had to work with Democrats, a serious point of contention for Greene and other members of Congress.

On Wednesday, Greene, accompanied by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), held a press conference announcing their intention to follow through with the effort to remove Johnson.

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