WASHINGTON — A second House Republican said he will support an effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power over his handling of foreign aid for Ukraine and other issues.
Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, who is a member of Johnson’s own Rules Committee, said he informed the speaker directly in a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday that he is co-sponsoring a resolution offered by far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to remove Johnson, R-La., from the top job.
“He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP speaker,” Massie wrote on X, referring to former GOP Speaker John Boehner, who resigned in the middle of his term in 2015 while facing a similar conservative rebellion from Massie and others.
In addition to objections over Ukraine aid, Massie also faulted Johnson for pushing through a massive government funding package this year and passing a bill to renew a controversial FISA spying tool last week.
“He’s going for the trifecta, the Triple Crown,” the Kentucky congressman said.
“There are people riding him like a horse here. They don’t care if the horse collapses,” Massie added. “I do because it’s going to throw our conference into turmoil.”
Johnson told rank-and-file House Republicans in the room that he won’t resign, Massie said, a point he reiterated to reporters.
“I am not resigning. And it is in my view an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said after the private meeting. “It is not helpful to the country. It does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda which is in the best interest of the American people here: a secure border, sound governance — and it’s not helpful to the unity that we have in the body.”
He added: “I am not concerned about this. I am going to do my job.”
With the GOP majority hanging by a thread, Johnson can afford only two GOP defections if Greene files her motion as “privileged,” forcing a floor vote to vacate the speaker’s chair. To successfully remove him, at least three Republicans — and all Democrats — would then need to vote for the motion to vacate.
Some Democrats, however, have said they would vote to save Johnson to prevent the House from spiraling out of control, similar to what happened last fall after conservatives toppled then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, ushering in three weeks of chaos and ultimately paving the way for Johnson’s ascent.
“Massie wants the world to burn, I won’t stand by and watch. I have a bucket of water,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., wrote on X.
It’s unclear how many Republicans might rally behind overthrowing Johnson, seven months before the presidential election. Other conservatives, including Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Troy Nehls, R-Texas, have said they don’t support a motion to vacate.
“We don’t need that. No way, no way!” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the founding chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and Judiciary Committee chairman who is a Johnson mentor and ally.
Many MAGA Republicans are taking their cues from their party’s presumptive nominee, former President Donald Trump, who appeared with Johnson at Mar-a-Lago on Friday and signaled his support for the GOP speaker.
“I stand with the speaker,” Trump told reporters when asked about Greene’s efforts, adding that he gets along great with both Greene and Johnson.
“It’s not an easy situation for any speaker. I think he’s doing a very good job. He’s doing about as good as you’re going to do.”
One moderate Republican facing a tough re-election bid this fall, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called Greene and Massie’s efforts “idiotic.”
It “does not serve the purpose of advancing the issues that these folks want,” he said, “and it, in fact, undermines the majority and it undermines our ability to deal with these important issues.”
Another vulnerable New York Republican, Rep. Marc Molinaro, called it “an utter waste of time and frankly a distraction from really important business.”
Asked if Johnson was in trouble, Molinaro replied: “No.”
This week’s conservative rebellion comes as Johnson attempts to move stalled foreign aid for U.S. allies including Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan through the House. Far-right members, including Greene, are demanding that Johnson and his leadership team focus their attention and resources on shoring up security of the southern border with Mexico.
Massie’s support for Johnson’s ouster is significant in another regard. Members of the Rules Committee, known on Capitol Hill as the “speaker’s committee,” are appointed by the speaker and typically carry out the speaker’s wishes. Massie, however, was put on the influential panel by McCarthy last year, and Johnson has had to bypass the Rules Committee on a number of occasions to get critical legislation to the floor.