The House of Representatives blocked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from his position.
In a 359-43 vote, the chamber tabled a motion to vacate the chair.
196 Republicans and 163 Democrats voted to block the effort to oust Johnson from the speakership.
11 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted to remove Johnson.
BREAKING — THE HOUSE has resoundingly tabled a motion to oust @SpeakerJohnson
359-43
R
196Y
11ND
163Y
32N— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) May 8, 2024
The House floor booed Greene as she introduced the motion to vacate the chair.
“This is the uniparty for the American people watching,” Greene said.
WATCH:
🚨#BREAKING: Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has called up a motion to vacate to remove Speaker Mike Johnson and is booed by the house floor pic.twitter.com/wDAuTEV623
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 8, 2024
“I appreciate the show of confidence from my colleagues to defeat this misguided effort,” Johnson said, according to NBC News.
“Hopefully, this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress. It’s regrettable. It’s not who we are as Americans, and we’re better than this. We need to get beyond it,” he added.
Per NBC News:
Greene, who had threatened for weeks to force the issue, dragged her feet as it became clear she didn’t have enough support to remove Johnson. Unlike in last year’s successful vote to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., many Democrats had made it clear they would vote to save Johnson, especially after he helped stave off a government shutdown, pushed through the renewal of a critical intelligence surveillance spy tool and passed billions of dollars in foreign aid for Ukraine after months of delays.
During the last vote series of the week, Greene stood on the floor and announced she was filing a privileged motion to vacate the speaker’s chair. Colleagues promptly booed her.
“It’s a new paradigm in Congress. Nancy Pelosi, and most republicans voted to keep Uniparty Speaker Mike Johnson. These are the eleven, including myself, who voted NOT to save him,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said.
It’s a new paradigm in Congress.
Nancy Pelosi, and most republicans voted to keep Uniparty Speaker Mike Johnson. These are the eleven, including myself, who voted NOT to save him. pic.twitter.com/8HnfDQ7lBe
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 8, 2024
“Vacating Kevin McCarthy was a huge mistake. Every Democrat voted to vacate him because he fought them tooth and nail. Keeping Mike Johnson is an even bigger mistake. An overwhelming majority of democrats voted to keep him because he’s given them everything they want,” Massie added.
Vacating Kevin McCarthy was a huge mistake. Every Democrat voted to vacate him because he fought them tooth and nail.
Keeping Mike Johnson is an even bigger mistake. An overwhelming majority of democrats voted to keep him because he’s given them everything they want.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 8, 2024
USA TODAY reports:
The attempt to oust the speaker lacked support from face of the Republican party and its presumptive 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump.” If we show DISUNITY, which will be portrayed as CHAOS, it will negatively affect everything! Mike Johnson is a good man who is trying very hard,” Trump said on Truth Social.
The final tally showed 32 Democrats and 11 Republicans voted against tabling the motion; seven members, all Democrats, voted present and 21 members did not vote.
Democrats who moved to advance Greene’s motion, cited reservations about saving the speaker over his key role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Democratic lawmakers also took aim at Johnson’s conservative credentials such as his anti-abortion views.
Read President Trump’s full statement:
🚨Just in: President Trump makes a new statement on MTG effort to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson. pic.twitter.com/dHzPHdPhia
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) May 8, 2024