Second Republican House member says he backs effort to remove Johnson as speaker : NPR

A second Republican member is supporting an effort to oust Home Speaker Mike Johnson.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., says he’s co-sponsoring a decision by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, as frustration grows amongst blocs of conservative members at Johnson’s proposed overseas assist package deal.

“We’re steering every part towards what [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer desires,” Massie mentioned of his complaints with Johnson. “I imply, if the nation likes Chuck Schumer, then they need to like what Speaker Johnson’s completed within the Home.”

The Kentucky Republican pointed to a few areas the place he feels Johnson has let his convention down: the newest spending package deal, the Home’s renewal of Part 702 of the International Intelligence Surveillance Act that permits for warrantless surveillance of overseas nationals contained in the U.S., and assist to Ukraine.

Johnson introduced Monday plans to maneuver ahead on 4 separate payments to handle overseas assist, together with to Israel and Ukraine.

Schumer and the White Home have not dominated out backing Johnson’s plan.

Massie mentioned he requested Johnson to resign throughout a closed-door assembly with GOP Home members Tuesday morning.

“He mentioned he wouldn’t,” Massie informed reporters after the assembly.

Massie argued Johnson ought to pre-announce his resignation, like former GOP Speaker John Boehner, in order that members may coalesce round a substitute and keep away from the drawn-out course of they confronted final fall once they in the end elected Johnson as speaker.

“If any person calls in a movement to vacate on the ground, and it succeeds, which it can, now you haven’t any speaker,” Massie mentioned. “After which you could have a brief speaker and it is a scorching mess.”

His feedback come virtually a month after Greene filed a movement to vacate decision over disputes with the speaker on how he dealt with a $1.2 trillion appropriations package deal. That decision isn’t privileged, that means it is unclear when it may be delivered to the ground for a vote.

Massie mentioned whether it is referred to as for a vote, “there shall be lots of people who vote for it.”

South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, a member of the conservative Home Freedom Caucus, mentioned he respects Massie however disagrees together with his assist of the movement to vacate.

“The very last thing this nation wants is to throw a speaker out, regardless that I disagree with what he is finished,” Norman mentioned.

After the assembly, Johnson informed reporters that “regular management” is required and the motion-to-vacate menace weakens the GOP convention.

“It’s, for my part, an absurd notion that somebody would deliver a vacate movement once we are merely right here making an attempt to do our jobs. It’s not useful to the trigger,” Johnson mentioned. “Now we have to have a united entrance and we now have to have our members work collectively.”

Johnson has a razor-thin majority, which fits down to 1 seat on Friday when Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher’s retirement turns into efficient. If Greene have been to name for a vote, Johnson would seemingly want assist from Democrats to maintain the gavel.

Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz has already mentioned he would assist Johnson in a movement to vacate vote.

“Massie desires the world to burn, I will not stand by and watch. I’ve a bucket of water,” he posted on X.

Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar informed reporters Tuesday that Democrats need to see assist transfer ahead to Ukraine and Israel.

“That is what we’re targeted on proper now. We won’t management the theatrics of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Home Republican convention,” he mentioned. “We do not just like the chaos and the dysfunction. We have been down this street earlier than.”

NPR’s Deirdre Walsh and Lexie Schapitl contributed to this report.