Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie joins push to oust US House Speaker Mike Johnson
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie announced Tuesday he is joining the push to oust U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Massie said on X, formerly known as Twitter, he told Johnson in a conference meeting he would be co-sponsoring the motion to vacate that was brought forward by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., last month.
"I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by (Greene). He should pre-announce his resignation (as [John] Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker," Massie tweeted.
Johnson recently shared a plan to move four foreign aid bills through the House, which includes providing financial assistance to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other national security priorities.
He received criticism from some members of his party for the plan.
Massie is the first lawmaker to join Greene’s efforts to oust Johnson. Greene has been critical of Johnson for providing aid to Ukraine rather than prioritizing U.S.-Mexico border security. She also said filing the resolution was more of a warning to the current speaker and wouldn’t pursue an immediate floor vote.
Johnson has responded to Greene’s threat, saying ousting him would cause chaos in the House.
Johnson has served as House Speaker since October after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by eight hard-right Republicans alongside the Democrats.
Massie and the rest of Kentucky’s delegation voted "no" to remove McCarthy from his leadership position. Even though Massie has been known as one of the most hard-line conservatives in the House when it comes to government spending, he still defended McCarthy before the floor vote.
Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky's Thomas Massie joins push to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson
