April 19 (UPI) – A third House Republican is making a bid to remove Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from his position of power.
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., made an announcement on Friday that he will be cosponsoring Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resolution to remove Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her post. This decision comes in response to the House’s recent advancement of a $95 billion foreign aid package, which received support from Democrats.
In his statement supporting Johnson’s removal, Gosar highlighted his disagreement with prioritizing financial assistance to Ukraine instead of allocating more funds for border security.
In a scathing statement, Representative Gosar criticized the decision of the United States House of Representatives to allocate an additional $61 billion towards the conflict in Ukraine. Despite previous assurances that no further funds would be sent without addressing the issue of securing the southern border and addressing the influx of 11 million undocumented immigrants, the House seems determined to involve America in what Gosar calls an “endless and purposeless war.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., expressed his support for Greene earlier this month, and now Gosar has joined him. The timing of when Greene will initiate the vote to remove Johnson remains uncertain. There are speculations among Republicans that she may be waiting to gather a larger group of like-minded representatives.
Rep. Eli Crane, a Republican from Arizona, has expressed his potential interest in joining the endeavor.
Although Greene has expressed her disapproval of Johnson’s approach to the Ukraine debate this week, she decided against pushing for a vote at that time.
On Thursday, she confidently declared, “I take my responsibilities seriously.”
If Johnson’s removal does come to the floor, he will need to once again reach out to Democrats in order to maintain his position. Several centrist Democrats who previously supported the foreign aid bills have expressed their willingness to assist him in this endeavor.
“I am eager to be involved in the conversation and see if we can truly work together to govern and pass bipartisan legislation,” expressed Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, in an interview with Politico.
As speaker, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of bipartisan bills and their successful passage. It cannot be stressed enough that bringing forth such bills is a significant aspect of this role. The need for these bills is evident, and their support is essential.
Johnson is currently in disagreement with the GOP regarding his openness to engage in negotiations with Democrats in order to pass a federal spending plan and reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
