Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens vote on ousting Mike Johnson after Democrats say they'll block it

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene threatened Tuesday to move ahead with a floor vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, the same procedure used to oust Kevin McCarthy, after House Democratic leaders announced they would thwart any of those efforts. 

Greene, a far-right Republican from Georgia, has been threatening to begin a procedure to oust Johnson from the speakership. Greene this week said Johnson's days as speaker are "numbered." 

"We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Motion to Vacate the Chair," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a statement Tuesday after their House Democratic caucus meeting. "If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed."

In response, Greene posted on social media on Tuesday morning accusing Johnson and the Democrats of a "slimy back room deal."

"If the Democrats want to elect him Speaker (and some Republicans want to support the Democrats' chosen Speaker), I'll give them the chance to do it," Greene posted. "I'm a big believer in recorded votes because putting Congress on record allows every American to see the truth and provides transparency to our votes."

Johnson became speaker in October after Republicans ousted McCarthy using the same procedure that Greene has threatened to use against Johnson. Republicans have a razor-thin majority in the House, and can only afford to lose a handful of votes. 

Tabling a motion means postponing or suspending consideration of that motion indefinitely, while a motion to vacate the chair is a procedure that can be used in the House through a single member to begin votes to remove the speaker. 

Greene faults Johnson for his work in securing foreign aid bills benefitting Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and for working with Democrats earlier this year to secure a $1.2 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. 

"For months, House Republicans irresponsibly delayed critical security assistance to our democratic allies in Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, while simultaneously blocking humanitarian assistance to civilians in harm's way in places like Gaza, Haiti and the Sudan," the House Democratic leaders said in their statement. "Thanks to a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans, led by President Biden, we were finally able to meet the national security needs of the American people."

"From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have put people over politics and found bipartisan common ground with traditional Republicans in order to deliver real results," they continued. "At the same time, House Democrats have aggressively pushed back against MAGA extremism. We will continue to do just that."

In:
• Mike Johnson
• Hakeem Jeffries

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.