House Speaker Mike Johnson survives effort to oust him from leadership

Mike Heuer
·3 min read
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to block Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson survived a motion to vacate filed by Greene, R-Ga., by a 359-43-7 floor vote. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to block Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson survived a motion to vacate filed by Greene, R-Ga., by a 359-43-7 floor vote. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI.

May 8 (UPI) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., survived a motion to vacate filed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., by a 359-43-7 floor vote Wednesday.

The final vote effectively quashed Greene's motion to vacate by tabling it and was widely anticipated as majorities of House Republicans and Democrats opposed the effort to remove Johnson as House Speaker.

"Hopefully, this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress," Johnson said after surviving Greene's ouster motion, Politico reported.

Greene and 10 other House Republicans voted against tabling her motion for Johnson to vacate the speaker position, as did 32 House Democrats.

"The motion to vacate attempt was only a headline-grabbing, petty political stunt to distract from our duties and raise money," Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., posted on X. "I'm glad rationality overwhelmingly prevailed."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks to the press after introducing a motion to vacate to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from his leadership position Wednesday, which the House promptly voted 359 to 43 to table the measure. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks to the press after introducing a motion to vacate to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from his leadership position Wednesday, which the House promptly voted 359 to 43 to table the measure. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, in a Truth Social post complimented Greene for having "spirit" but said "Republicans have to be fighting the radical-left Democrats and all the damage they have done to our country," The Hill reported.

Trump said now is the time for Republicans to show unity with the general election just six months away, and Trump leading President Joe Biden in several swing-state polls as well as nationally.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., saw her newly filed motion to force Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to vacate his leadership position suffer a quick defeat when House members overwhelmingly voted to table the measure Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., saw her newly filed motion to force Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to vacate his leadership position suffer a quick defeat when House members overwhelmingly voted to table the measure Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

With Greene's motion tabled, it would take a majority in the House to vote to return it to the floor for consideration.

Tabling Greene's motion enabled Johnson to survive a similar fate suffered by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who last year was removed as Speaker when a motion to vacate filed by Rep. Matt Gaetz was approved.

A throng of reporters surround Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shortly after she introduced her failed motion to vacate to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from his leadership position Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
A throng of reporters surround Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shortly after she introduced her failed motion to vacate to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from his leadership position Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

McCarthy resigned from the House of Representatives on Dec. 31.

Greene and Gaetz are members of the GOP House Freedom Caucus and said McCarthy and Johnson were not doing enough to advance conservative causes and viewpoints while working with Democrats to get legislation approved.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a portrait unveiling ceremony for Daisy Gatson Lee Bates, a civil rights leader from Arkansas, in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and shortly after a motion to vacate his leadership position was tabled. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a portrait unveiling ceremony for Daisy Gatson Lee Bates, a civil rights leader from Arkansas, in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and shortly after a motion to vacate his leadership position was tabled. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
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