Mike Johnson easily survives ouster attempt from Marjorie Taylor Greene
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House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) gavel was saved on Wednesday with the help of Democrats after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) failed to grow her ouster campaign beyond a handful of votes.
Why it matters: Johnson avoided becoming the second speaker ousted this Congress. He became a midsession speaker in October after the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy.
- Greene introduced her resolution on Wednesday evening after two days of closed-door conversations this week with Johnson.
- Her motion was quickly blocked, as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) moved to table the motion, passing with an overwhelming majority.
Zoom in: Republican hardliners brought the motion after Johnson passed a $95 billion aid package that included military, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine.
- Democrats largely praised the move and said they didn't want to punish Johnson for doing the right thing and working across the aisle.
- Another key factor Democrats cited: They view Johnson as a more honest broker than McCarthy, who they unanimously voted to oust last fall.
- "The motion to vacate does not offer a recipe for conservative policy— it's a recipe for chaos. And I think obviously the vast majority of our of our colleagues understand that very well," Johnson recently told Axios.
Between the lines: Johnson's GOP defectors alleged that Democrats bailing him out on the floor indicates he is owned by the other party, with even some of his supporters questioning how the rest of the Congress can function.
- Congress only has a handful of significant priorities that need to be passed before the end of the 118th Congress, with government funding and FAA reauthorization expected to be addressed before the election.
- Greene's efforts to oust him was met with pushback from the majority of the House GOP, with some fearing that it will hinder their ability to hold the majority or pick up seats in November.
