Fresh off a weeklong break from Washington, President Mike Johnson returns to Washington with a series of political victories, and will be forced to deal with the threats to his job they have brought.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., reminded Johnson on Sunday that she is waiting in the wings to defeat him. “His days as president are numbered,” she wrote in X.
The Republican firebrand discussed the $60 billion for Ukraine that Congress approved last week and warned that Johnson and the rest of Congressional leaders could usher in “boots on the ground” in Ukraine.
“Permanent funding for Ukraine is exactly what they want and Mike Johnson will give it to them,” Green wrote in X.
“Peace is not an option for them because it does not fit the economic and business model of war with government allocations, which is vile and disgusting.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., reminded Johnson on Sunday that she is waiting in the wings to defeat him. “His days as president are numbered,” she wrote in X
She continued: ‘Their (sic) plan is to continue funding the proxy war with Russia in Ukraine and when that doesn’t work, after all the Ukrainian men have been slaughtered, the next thing they will do is send American troops on the ground. ‘Johnson will do whatever Biden/Schumer want to keep the Speaker’s gavel in his hand, but he has completely sold out the Republican voters who gave us the majority.’
Greene was citing a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that said the United States and Ukraine are working to “set specific levels of support for this year and the next ten years.”
Johnson received praise from across the political spectrum for pushing a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and reauthorizing the intelligence community’s warrantless spying powers.
It has also received backlash. Two more Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., joined a motion to remove Johnson from the presidency that Greene launched last month.
The motion has not been called to the floor, and Greene has been coy about any kind of deadline or red line that might prompt her to introduce it. The three Republicans participating in the motion have been trying to increase pressure on Johnson to resign.
The Republican firebrand discussed the $60 billion for Ukraine that Congress approved last week and warned that Johnson and the rest of Congressional leaders could usher in “boots on the ground” in Ukraine.
“Mike Johnson’s presidency is over,” Greene told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” earlier this month. “He needs to do the right thing by resigning and allowing us to move forward in a controlled process.”
Such a vote would again cause melee in the House, much like the three weeks without a speaker when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., launched an override motion against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
But Republicans can only afford two defections on party-line votes, and many fear that another override motion could lead to more early retirements on their side, so some hardliners have openly opposed Greene’s motion.
Gaetz suggested on his podcast earlier this month that someone in his party could be “bribed” to allow Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to become speaker.
“I think in a one-seat majority, there might be one, two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe one way or another to deprive Republicans of having a majority.”
Rep. Bob Good, R-Fla., another McCarthy antagonist and chairman of the Freedom Caucus, said Johnson “has failed us” as president, but said we are too close to the November election to try to put someone new in the job. .
But Democrats have already said they would not vote to advance a motion to impeach the president after he introduced aid to Ukraine.
Johnson has clung to former President Donald Trump like a lifeline. Trump has taken a moderate stance, defending Johnson and pointing out the slim majority he has to work with.
‘Look, we have a majority of one, okay? It’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants,” the former president said on Real America’s Voice last week.
Ukraine’s bill includes $23 billion to replenish U.S. reserves that have been depleted for the fight in Russia.
Some $11 billion would go toward U.S. military operations in the region and $14 billion would go toward the acquisition of advanced weapons systems.
Another $26 million would go toward oversight and accountability of equipment delivered to Ukraine.
Two separate funds of economic assistance worth $7.85 billion and $1.58 billion would also be offered to Ukraine under a loan structure.
The president has broad authority over the terms of the loan and could forgive half after November 15, 2024 and the other half after January 1, 2026.