As Rioters Gather on Campuses Around the Country, a Rebellion in the House Dies
By Joe Cunningham
The pro-Hamas fanatics rampaging at Columbia University and elsewhere may be succeeding in taking over buildings on their campuses, but one rebellion in the nation's capital seems to have quietly died.
Speaker Mike Johnson's job appears to be safe for the moment after the threat of a motion to vacate from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Prior to Easter, she filed the MTV, but refused to activate it and bring it to the floor, instead holding it over the Speaker's head if she did not get what she was looking for - namely, cutting off aid to Ukraine.
And while Rep. Thomas Massie vowed to second her motion, it seems that the threat to throw the House into further chaos has "fizzled," according to Axios.
- "I don't personally think so based on what I'm hearing, but you'd have to talk to the folks that have talked about triggering it," said Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said he "hopes not" when asked whether he knew if the motion would be brought up this week.
- "I'm not convinced that if we go into a motion to vacate, we come out with a more conservative solution, so I think every person has to evaluate it," Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) said Monday, according to Punchbowl News.
During closed-door meetings in which Massie threatened Johnson's job, the Speaker seemed to almost dare his critics to trigger it, allegedly saying during the meeting "bring the MTV, that's your choice." However, it appears that the motion is dead for the time being.
But it also seemed unlikely that a motion would have advanced in the first place. Democrats signaled they were tired of the antics of a handful of conservatives, and most Republicans waved away the prospect of going through the nightmare of a Speaker election again - especially since there was no guarantee of a conservative (or even Republican) outcome.
Greene, for her part, hasn't said one way or another whether she was keeping or pulling the MTV, but only two other House members - Massie and Paul Gosar - signaled any meaningful support. It's likely that an overwhelming number of both Democrats and Republicans would side against them, based on reports from inside House.
Johnson's office has also shown no signs of worry, as Johnson has maintained the positions that have made him vulnerable to attack from his right on spending issues. He has also been more forceful on issues like the protests at Columbia and elsewhere. He's also been touring several House districts, backing Republicans in an effort to solidify and grow his party's House majority.
Such moves are vital for Johnson in the coming months. The strategy taking form out of his office appears to be maintaining the status quo until he can get reinforcements from all quarters - in House members, a GOP flip of the Senate, and a potential re-taking of the White House by Donald Trump (who has voiced his support for Johnson).
But that status quo has not made him friends among conservatives in the House - and in the Senate, where current spending levels and the reauthorization of FISA drew fierce criticisms from the likes of Mike Lee and Rand Paul.
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