The Greene Mile

Marjorie Taylor Greene
Greene has tempted fate by closely aligning herself with McCarthy, getting herself expelled from the House Freedom Caucus (for calling Lauren Boebert “a little bitch”), and then putting the motion-to-vacate gun to Johnson’s head. Photo: Megan Varner/Getty Images
Tina Nguyen
April 17, 2024

House Republicans are, once again, in various stages of revolt after embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to move ahead with plans for a Saturday evening vote on legislation that includes aid for Ukraine—a package that House Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good has said “every true conservative” must oppose. To recap: In the two months since the Senate passed its $95 billion package of security assistance for Ukraine and Israel, among others, hardliners have telegraphed that moving any variation of the Senate’s bill would put Johnson’s job in jeopardy. In late March, Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a motion to vacate, essentially cocking (but not yet firing) the parliamentary W.M.D. that would force a vote to remove him. On Tuesday, the day after Johnson pledged to allow a vote on foreign aid, Rep. Thomas Massie seconded Greene, asking the speaker to resign.