The long-running feud between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is about to boil over this week when the Georgia Republican moves to force a vote on the impeachment of the Republican leader – which is almost certain to fail.
Greene — who introduced a motion to vacate Johnson in March — is vowing to force a vote on her removal resolution this week, a long-standing decision for the GOP firebrand who has hung the impeachment mechanism over the House speaker’s head while harshly criticized his legislative decisions at all times.
His gamble, however, is about to fail: A large number of conservative Republicans have said they plan to oppose his effort — only two support it — and the House’s top three Democrats have said they will vote to delay the impeachment effort. Greene. The Georgia Republican, however, promises to move forward.
“Mike Johnson must resign or be removed,” she wrote on X on Friday.
Also this week, the Senate is set to continue consideration of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. A short-term extension, however, may be necessary as lawmakers race against the clock to meet the Friday deadline.
President Biden is scheduled to appear alongside Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) at the Capitol for an event honoring individuals killed in the Holocaust. And the House is expected to consider a bill that would add a citizenship question to the bicentennial census.
Greene promises movement on Johnson’s impeachment strategy
Greene vows to move forward with her crusade to unseat Johnson this week, an effort that has failed to gain traction within the ranks of the Republican Party and among former President Trump, and which has faced opposition among Democrats — a dynamic that all but guarantees the push will fail. in an embarrassing manner in the Chamber plenary.
These facts have been apparent for days — conservatives have expressed skepticism about Greene’s strategy for weeks, and Democratic leadership said last week it would vote to introduce the Georgia Republican’s impeachment measure if it reached the floor for a vote.
But Greene and her two co-sponsors — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) — are nonetheless moving forward with the effort, seeking to put it on record with Republicans whether or not they support Johnson .
“This week we vote on whether Mike Johnson should remain speaker of the House,” Massie wrote on X Sunday. “If you are happy with what he has done this year and if you are looking forward to what he does the rest of the year, you should join Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in supporting Mike Johnson. #unipartisan.”
Greene and Massie announced last week that they would push for a vote on their resolution this week, although it remains unclear what day they will pull the trigger. The Chamber returns to session on Monday.
Once Republicans decide to force a vote on their resolution, House GOP leadership will have two legislative days to pass the legislation. Leadership is expected to vote on a motion to introduce the measure, which will be successful with support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Meanwhile, Johnson dismissed the looming threat with his gavel, characterizing it as a reckless move for the Republican Party — and the entire country.
“I don’t think much about the motion to vacate,” he said on SiriusXM’s “The Laura Coates Show” on Friday. “I think it’s wrong for the Republican Party; I think it’s wrong for the institution; I think it’s wrong for the country. These are very serious times, and the American people need and deserve a functioning Congress, and I think that’s the overriding factor here.”
In the run-up to Greene’s impending move, conservatives have increased their criticism of Greene.
“She’s pretty much operating on her own, with one or two other people who have expressed support for what she’s doing,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who voted to impeach the former president. Kevin McCarthy. (R-California) in October, said in Nation News “The Hill Sunday” in an interview. “She doesn’t lead anyone.”
The threat of expulsion comes in the context of the November elections, which are less than six months away. Republicans of all stripes have urged GOP lawmakers to remain united in preparing for these contests, a message the head of the Republican National Committee (RNC) has reaffirmed as Greene vows to pursue her recall effort.
“We need to flip the Senate and expand our majority in the Chamber. We’re not going to do that if we’re not unified,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley told NBC News in an interview. “We need to make sure that all Republicans understand the gravity of this election cycle, and they do, and we need to make sure we are on the same page as we move forward.”
Senate awaits FAA reauthorization deadline
The Senate continues to consider a bill to reauthorize the FAA for five years this week, although a short-term extension may be necessary as Congress awaits Friday’s deadline.
Senate Republican John Thune (S.D.) told reporters last week that a short-term extension may be necessary to avoid a lapse in authority and end the process for the full reauthorization bill, citing the large number of amendments that the senators requested votes. and the short window for votes. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, with just four days left until the Friday deadline.
“We’ll see,” Thune said when asked about the prospect of a short-term extension. “May 10th is coming up…my assumption is that if we don’t want to have a lapse in authority, a short-term extension will probably be necessary.”
He did not say how long this extension would last.
Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) — the top Republican on the Commerce Committee — however, said last week that he thinks the upper chamber can get the bill over the finish line with enough time to spare.
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said of a short-term extension. “I think we’ll finish this next week.”
The FAA bill cleared its first procedural hurdle in the Senate last week in an 89-10 vote. Senators, however, are trying to add some unrelated priorities to the legislation since it is the final measure the Congress must approve it before the fall, a reality that is delaying the consideration process.
A related priority likely to be voted on is an amendment that would prohibit draft legislation adding five slots, or 10 flights, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
Senators representing Virginia and Maryland pushed for the change, arguing that DCA already sees too much traffic, while lawmakers from states further away from Washington, D.C., advocated for the additional flights, claiming they would increase convenience for travelers.
Biden and House leaders will attend Holocaust memorial event
President Biden is scheduled to visit the Capitol this week for a Holocaust memorial event, appearing alongside Holocaust survivors Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.).
The event — formally called the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual Days of Remembrance ceremony — is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. Biden and Johnson are scheduled to deliver remarks.
Days of Remembrance is the annual U.S. commemoration to honor the six million Jewish men, women and children who were killed in the Holocaust. The event at the Capitol “honors the American troops who fought to defeat Nazism and recognizes the U.S. Army divisions that liberated the concentration camps,” according to a statement from Johnson’s office.
The meeting comes amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests taking place on college campuses across the country, which have emerged as the Israel-Hamas war continues in the Middle East. Some lawmakers accused the demonstrations of taking an anti-Semitic turn.
In December, the Anti-Defamation League stated that more than 2,000 anti-Semitic incidents had been reported in the US since October 7 – the day Hamas launched its attack on Israel – which marked a 337 percent increase year on year. year.
Last week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden “will discuss our moral duty to combat the growing scourge of anti-Semitism and the Biden-Harris administration’s work to implement the first National Anti-Semitism Strategy to make real the promise of never, ever again.”
Chamber will consider bill on census citizenship issue
The House is scheduled to vote this week on a bill that calls for adding a citizenship question to the decennial census.
O legislation — titled the Equal Representation Act — would direct the Census Bureau to add a question to the 10-year-old survey that asks for a respondent’s citizenship status and would require the U.S. to consider only citizens when determining the number of congressional seats each state receives.
The push comes after the citizenship question did not appear on the 2020 census. The Trump administration pushed for the question to be added to the decennial survey before abandoning the effort in July 2019 after the Supreme Court blocked the idea.
The House Oversight Committee advanced the legislation on a 22-20 party-line vote in April.
“The Equal Representation Act will ensure that American citizens – and only American citizens – have fair and equal representation in their federal government,” said Rep. Chuck Edwards (RN.C.), the bill’s sponsor, in a statement. in January, when he announced the introduction of the project.
Al Weaver contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
