Staff Reports
the House of Representatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has ruffled some feathers by deciding not to support a change to the threshold for bringing a motion to kick him out of his big, fancy speakership chair.
Word on the street was that Johnson was mulling over a change to the rule that allows a single member of the GOP conference to bring a motion to vacate the speaker. But hold the phone, because Johnson later said, “Not on my watch!” He shut down those rumors faster than a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
Read "Johnson angers Republicans for not disarming House rebels’ biggest weapon" on SmartNews: https://t.co/8SvvW3Dcpf #SmartNews
— Carol Diaz (@lorac328) April 19, 2024
This move left a few senior Republicans hot under the collar. One senior House GOP aide even said that a rule change would have brought “real stability” to the House. Can you imagine that? Real stability? In Congress? It’s a rare sight indeed.
But here’s the kicker: this whole motion to vacate rule thingamajig was actually one of the goodies former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy threw in to secure his own speakership. It’s like a game of political hot potato. But instead of a potato, it’s a rule that could potentially oust the speaker. Fun times, right?
Adding to the spicy mix, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the firecracker from Georgia, filed a motion to boot Johnson from his high and mighty position. But wait for it… she didn’t do it as a privileged resolution, meaning there’s no rush to deal with it. It’s like scheduling a dentist appointment for six months from now because you’re too busy binging on Netflix.
With the threat of the motion to vacate hanging over Johnson, there’s a legit concern that the House could be stuck without a speaker once again. And nobody wants to see that kind of chaos. Well, except maybe the folks who love watching political fireworks.
So, grab your front row seat and grab some popcorn, folks, because the show in the House is just getting started. And it’s bound to be a wild ride!
