Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene triggers effort to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson from office

WASHINGTON — Hardline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Wednesday for a vote to impeach Speaker Mike Johnson, continuing her long push despite opposition from top-level Republicans fed up with political chaos.

Greene, one of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in Congress, stood on the floor of the House of Representatives and read out a long list of “transgressions” she said Johnson committed as speaker. Colleagues booed in protest.

The vote, which must take place within two days according to House rules, could take place soon.

The Georgia Republican had vowed to force a vote on the motion to fire the Republican chairman if he dared to bring forward a foreign aid package with funds for Ukraine, which was overwhelmingly approved late last month and passed into the House. law was signed.

But in recent days it appeared her efforts had cooled, as she and Johnson met repeatedly for a possible resolution.

Louisiana’s Johnson marched on, saying he was willing to take the risk because he believed it was important for the US to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion and explained he wanted to be on the “right side of history” .

“I just have to do my job every day,” Johnson said Monday.

In a highly unusual move, the speaker got a boost from Democrats led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, whose leadership team has said it was time to “turn the page” on the Republican Party’s turmoil and vote for the introduction of Greene’s resolution – which almost saved Johnson’s job for the time being.

Trump also made an appearance after Johnson went to Mar-a-Lago for a visit, with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee giving the speaker an approving nod. And Trump’s hand-picked leader at the Republican National Committee urged Republicans in the House of Representatives not to act.

The move now carries its own political risks for Greene, R-Ga., a high-profile provocateur.

Forcing the vote could bring the House to a standstill, as happened last year when eight Republicans voted to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office, and Democrats refused to help save him.

Or it could be over in minutes, if Democrats join Republicans in putting the effort on the table.

McCarthy’s ouster resulted in a nearly month-long search for a new Republican leader, and there is no immediate successor if Johnson is ousted.