Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) expressed his gratitude for the opposition to the “misguided effort” to oust him as House Speaker on Thursday.
Johnson appeared on Fox News’s Fox and Friends to respond to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) effort to vacate him as speaker. There were 11 Republican members and 32 Democratic members who voted to keep her motion, while the rest voted to table it.
“Look, I appreciate the overwhelming show of confidence by my colleagues to defeat that misguided effort,” Johnson said. “Imagine if we closed the House in the middle of hot wars around the globe when China could move on Taiwan, Iran could fire a nuke at Israel. I mean, you know, anything could happen right now. And we need to be working here every day. The chaos and confusion do nothing but diminish our chances to save this country and hurt our cause.”
In Johnson’s opinion, another effort to oust him is unlikely, as he said Wednesday’s vote was an “overwhelming landslide outcome.” The speaker has the support of some 359 members of Congress that come from both sides of the aisle.
“I mean, I think the message is sent. We have serious work to do, y’all. there are two competing visions for the country. We are fighting to save America and preserve its founding principles, to get Donald Trump back at the house White House, and to win the majority in the Senate and the House for the Republican Party,” Johnson said. “We have no time for nonsense.”
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There were only two Republican members that voted to vacate their own party’s Speaker during this vote and the last vote that removed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), which were Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Eli Crane (R-AZ). It only took eight Republicans at the time, combined with the votes of the Democratic members to remove McCarthy.
Johnson is up for reelection in 2024, as is the House Minority leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
