Returning to Capitol Hill after the Easter break, US House Speaker Mike Johnson will work with the remaining members of the US House of Representatives on April 9, with a "mountain of work" waiting, including nothing but "headaches".
Not only is there a long list of pending and controversial priorities on Mr. Johnson’s agenda, from warrantless foreign surveillance to aid to Ukraine, but the threat of being removed from his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives hangs over his head.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s displeasure with Johnson had been simmering for some time. It came to a head after the House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. Since Johnson’s fellow Republicans largely opposed the deal, it passed with overwhelming Democratic support.
Greene and other hard-line conservatives have accused Johnson of betraying them and siding with Democrats. Before Congress went into a two-week recess, the Georgia representative filed a motion to remove him from office, which would require a vote to oust Johnson.
The congresswoman has not yet forced the motion to come up for an immediate vote, but it is being seen as a “warning” to Mr. Johnson. It is not yet clear how many Republicans in the House will support the removal of the speaker.
However, given the slim majority that the Republicans hold, if just a few House members “nod,” Mr. Johnson could be eliminated, unless he is “rescued” by the Democrats. And this is not a certainty.
Last week, Mr Johnson signaled a vote on additional aid to Ukraine, after Ms Greene specifically warned him against making another deal with Democrats to get the package through the US House of Representatives.
If Ms Greene goes any further, it risks re-igniting another protracted battle for the position of US House Speaker, less than six months after Mr Johnson took over the powerful gavel from his predecessor Kevin McCarthy .
Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, AP)
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