Third House Republican Now Calling For Speaker Johnson's Ouster

Third House Republican Now Calling For Speaker Johnson's Ouster


A third GOP House lawmaker announced he will support an effort to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) over a series of foreign aid funding measures that do not include a border security element.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said he will join Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky will call for Johnson’s ouster, further threatening the party’s thin majority and adding to the perception that the House GOP is in chaos.

Gosar “released a statement shortly after Johnson’s plan—four bills amounting to $95 billion in spending—survived a key procedural vote on the House floor with more Democratic support than Republican,” Fox News reported.

The outlet added: “He bashed House GOP leaders for not linking his foreign aid proposal, particularly a bill sending money to Ukraine, to U.S. border security measures – frustration shared by other conservative foreign aid skeptics who voted to block the plan from getting a vote on final passage.”

Gosar’s statement said, in part:

“[R]ather than spending the resources to secure our southern border and combating the invasion of 11 million illegals and despite repeated promises there would be no additional money going to Ukraine without first securing our border, the United States House of Representatives, under the direction of the Speaker, is on the verge of sending another $61 billion to further draw America into an endless and purposeless war in Ukraine.”

“I have added my name in support of the motion to vacate the Speaker. Our border cannot be an afterthought.  We need a Speaker who puts America first rather than bending to the reckless demands of the warmongers, neo-cons, and the military-industrial complex making billions from a costly and endless war half a world away.”

He supported a resolution initiated by Greene last month, challenging Johnson’s management of foreign aid and government spending. Under existing House regulations, this motion to vacate requires only one lawmaker to initiate, prompting a vote across the entire House on the removal of the speaker if it becomes a “privileged” motion.

Fox reported that Greene would not discuss the motion to vacate with reporters after the foreign aid vote on Friday. She posted on X soon after, however, “And now there are three. Thank you to [Paul Gosar] for cosponsoring my motion to vacate Speaker Johnson!”


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