Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has cautioned that removing Speaker Mike Johnson might give Democrats more power in a time of upheaval.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) submitted a motion to vacate the chair, which might result in a vote to remove Johnson. Greene’s request to vacate ultimately resulted in McCarthy’s dismissal.
During several ongoing foreign wars, McCaul emphasized that Congress must be able to rule efficiently and without distractions.
Last Monday, Greene referred to the motion as “basically a warning” and said she would not immediately call for a vote to remove Johnson. Last week, a number of Democrats in the House expressed their willingness to help rescue Johnson from a motion to vacate, particularly if he transfers funding to Ukraine.
According to McCaul, The House will vote on money for Ukraine after Easter, and Johnson has promised to do it. House Foreign Affairs Committee chair McCaul has been an outspoken advocate for providing more aid to Ukraine so it can counter Russia. Because of deep divides in Congress, the nation’s funding has remained uncertain for over a year.
Before her party’s consensus, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was among the most outspoken Republicans opposed sending US assistance to Ukraine.
In October, when Florida Republican Matt Gaetz sought to remove then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the situation was quite different. With a laundry list of complaints about the long-serving GOP leader, Democrats were understandably outraged by McCarthy’s recent declaration of an investigation into President Joe Biden’s potential impeachment. Republicans in the House seem unable to take an impeachment investigation forward, and Johnson has relied on Democratic votes to pass funding measures many times in recent months.
It is premature to predict the specific course of action since House Democrats will likely reach a consensus on handling the issue.
