Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has quickly made a name for herself in what’s now just her second term in office, spoke to The Hill recently in critical terms about Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), the latest Speaker of the House.
Johnson was selected by House Republicans after weeks of infighting in the party to replace Kevin McCarthy in that leadership role. McCarthy, a California Republican, subsequently resigned from Congress altogether. Back in D.C., Johnson had cultivated an image as essentially a part of the far-right, but Greene is complaining about paths he’s taken on issues including government funding and aid for Ukraine, ultimately questioning his basic aptitude for that role. It was opposition from within the GOP itself that spurred what became McCarthy’s exit via a motion for his removal filed by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz — so comments like Greene’s have historically meant career-upending consequences!
“Mike Johnson comes in and first thing he starts talking about is passing another CR, and I’m like, wait a minute, what? You just voted against it. That was the whole reason why Kevin McCarthy got ousted, was working with Democrats and passing a clean CR. And you know, for me I was like, what a hypocrisy,” Greene told The Hill. “CR” abbreviates “continuing resolution.” It’s a form of legislative initiative that was recently used to extend government funding on a temporary basis, keeping the federal government operational. A “clean” CR means that kind of temporary extension of government funding without major legislative updates attached to the move.
Greene also complained about Johnson being open to sending aid to Ukraine at all, something that he’s floated doing alongside legislative changes in border policy. Greene and other Republicans in her ideological corner have unsuccessfully sought a sweeping reversal on the U.S. giving assistance to Ukraine, which has largely taken the form of weapons shipments. In theory, Johnson could face his own push for removal, but for now it seems clear that House Republicans are on track for more difficulty in accomplishing even basic legislative ambitions.
