Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) will co-sponsor a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), marking a second Republican who publicly threatened his removal.
Massie told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting Tuesday he would back the effort introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month, a lawmaker inside the meeting confirmed to the Washington Examiner. The change comes just one day after Johnson proposed a four-pronged plan to provide foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan through separate bills — a proposal that has been met with pushback by members of his own conference.
Johnson “should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker,” Massie posted on X after the closed-door meeting in which he informed Johnson of his decision.
Massie said he pushed Johnson to resign inside the GOP meeting, but the speaker declined. The Kentucky Republican then warned that without a resignation, the motion to vacate “will get called” and Johnson will “lose more votes than Kevin McCarthy.”
McCarthy was ousted after eight Republicans joined all Democrats to support the motion.
A defiant Johnson responded Tuesday, declaring: “I am not resigning. And it is, in my view, an absurd notion.”
Johnson told reporters the motion to vacate threat “is not helpful to the cause, it is not helpful to the country. It does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda.”
Massie’s announcement comes at a precarious time for Johnson as the speaker’s historically small majority will become even tighter by the end of this week with the resignation of Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI).
With Gallagher’s absence, that brings the Republicans’ majority to 217-213 as of Friday, meaning Republicans can only afford to lose one vote on any given measure to pass the lower chamber.
With that temporary one-vote majority, Johnson could see himself pushed into the corner as he stares down the motion to vacate that was filed by Greene last month.
A motion to vacate requires only a simple majority to pass, meaning if all Democrats voted to oust Johnson, it would only take two Republicans to join in order to pass. However, Rep. Tom Souzzi (D-NY) came out as the first Democrat last month to support Johnson if he faces a motion to vacate from the GOP.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) also pledged not to back the motion to vacate. “Massie wants the world to burn, I won’t stand by and watch,” the Democrat posted on X. “I have a bucket of water.”
My position hasn’t changed. Massie wants the world to burn, I won’t stand by and watch. I have a bucket of water. https://t.co/bn61J6N2y3
— Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) April 16, 2024
Several Republicans have decried the motion to remove the second speaker in one year, noting that although there haven’t been ongoing conversations about a rescue plan, they’d hope Democrats wouldn’t aid in removing Johnson.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) said. “I would hope no Republican takes it seriously, and I hope that no Democrat would take it seriously. … I think Congressman [Tom] Suozzi said he wouldn’t support it. So there’s one.”
Others pointed to the ouster of McCarthy and the subsequent effort to elect his successor, resulting in three weeks of chaos in the lower chamber.
“You have a loosely affiliated coalition government at this point,” Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) said. “You’re not going to get a majority of votes for any new person. And for that reason, I don’t think that I don’t think that folks are gonna go through it.”
It’s not clear when Massie and Greene may move forward with their threat to oust Johnson. Greene did not privilege the motion when she filed it in March, meaning the measure is sitting in the House until she calls it forward for a vote.
Former President Donald Trump came out in support of Johnson during a fundraiser last week, calling it “unfortunate” the measure keeps being brought up. When asked about Trump’s support, Massie simply said, “I think he’ll come around.”
If Dems are supporting the traitor Johnson then that tells you all you need to know about him
Total fake, total traitor to the country and people
Mike Johnson is a POS. BOUGHT OFF BY DEMCRATS. If not he would have attached an order of funding and an order to close the border. I could care less if Democrats destroy America. TX republicans should step away from the border. Let all these terrorist in for free, let them kill every SOAB IN SanFrancisco then maybe someone will Jail Joe Biden and Mayorkas for their Treason. Coward ass Government. There is no branch I support. All they do is cause CHAOS. 2025 AMERICAN MILITIA AGENDA CAN’T GET HERE SOON ENOUGH. IVE heard of it’ and I’ve heard there are near 7mil.recruited since 2016. Let’s see who try’s to defeat them in 2025. Gona be serious since there are at least 1mil. Trained and armed Marksman. SWHTF in 2025. Can’t wait to see it happen! Civil War is a documented event dated for 2025 regardless who your President is. A Mass removal of government is already in the making. Fkg mentally challenged GOVERNMENT TREASONIST SWAMP CREATURES. Power to the states’ Eliminate Fed corruption from the Top down.
This is why I am NOT a Republican!!! You guys can’t seem to agree on anything!! You spend more time infighting and getting nothing done!! Joe and Democrats are strangling and bankrupting America and Americans!!
You fools are the best friends the democrats ever had,you are no different than Judas Iscariot!!!
Attention Republican Congressman and woman, CAN YOU PLEASE GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!!!! The last thing we need, is Trump to win the White House, and we lose the congress because you guys can’t stick together like the democrats do! Enough! Mike should stay, focus on Biden and gaining more seats you morons! I hate democrats, but they do stick together, we need to do the same. People will lose faith and we will lose the house once again!