(RightWing.org) – House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing opposition from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who’s been fiercely critical of how he worked with Democrats to pass a government funding bill. Now he’s being attacked from a different angle. His predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), has blasted him for his bipartisan deal.
On May 8, the House dismissed Greene’s motion to vacate the speakership, with 196 Republicans and 163 Democrats voting to kill the proposal. However, the next day, McCarthy, who was removed from the post last October after eight ultra-conservative Republicans voted with Democrats to oust him, spoke to online media source POLITICO. He slammed Johnson for collaborating with Dems to pass a $61 billion military aid package for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine, saying, “couldn’t live with myself if I’d done a deal with Democrats.”
Ironically, the reason McCarthy was deposed from the speaker’s chair is that a small group of Republicans, led by Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) were outraged at him doing a deal with Democrats. After the bill went through, McCarthy said, “If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try” — and Gaetz obliged him.
McCarthy might have forgotten that little detail, but he does have some thoughts on the speakership. He told Politico that “the experience of removing the speaker has not been positive for anybody” and pointed out that, since he was forced out, the House has struggled to pass legislation. McCarthy thinks the episode was “a lesson learned” — even if Greene, among others, doesn’t seem to have learned it.
While Johnson’s spending bill passed the House with a solid majority, only 101 of his fellow Republicans supported it while 112 voted against. Without Democrat votes it wouldn’t have made it through, and some in the GOP won’t forgive him for that. However, for now — and despite McCarthy’s opinion — Johnson has fended off the threat to his position.
Copyright 2024, RightWing.org
