Marjorie Taylor Greene Threatens to Vacate Johnson if Ukraine Spending Approved

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Friday said she will fight pairing supplemental aid for Ukraine and border security together even if she has to file a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., because it is a "failing" strategy.

"We don't have to trade $60 billion for Ukraine for our own country's border security," Greene told reporters on Capitol Hill Friday. "That is a failing, losing strategy and I will never support it. I'll fight it as much as possible. Even if I have to go so far to vacate the chair and there's others that agree with me."

Greene's comments come as Johnson has decided to stick to his guns in supporting the bipartisan funding deal that includes further aid for war-torn Ukraine and enhancements to U.S. border security.

The Georgia Republican previously bashed notions to vacate the speaker, calling it "the dumbest thing that could happen," and criticizing the similar move from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., that led to a battle on the House floor for a GOP leader after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted.

“I mean, look at the results we have now. We haven’t passed any more appropriation bills since they threw out Kevin McCarthy," Greene said on Wednesday, shooting down an idea from House Freedom Caucus Chair Chip Roy, R-Va. "We have expelled a Republican member of Congress, we’re reducing our numbers."

Greene continued: "I’m kind of sick of the chaos. I came here to be serious about solving problems, not to produce clickbait."

Gaetz has also so far rejected the idea of ousting Johnson over the spending deal.

"The motion to vacate is a surgery, after which there's a mandatory recuperation time before the surgery can be performed again," Gaetz told The Messenger, referring to the procedure for removing a House speaker.

However, with Johnson holding strong in moving forward with the deal he struck with Democrats last week, Greene seems to be changing her tune as hardline conservatives have been working for spending cuts and deal renegotiations.

"I know you guys want headlines on vacate the chair crap. I'm just telling you that there's a lot of unhappiness in the conference. We're not going to bend over to Mitch McConnell and what he wants," Greene told reporters on Friday, referring to the Kentucky Republicans requests for Republicans to support the spending deal.

The Messenger's Warren Rojas contributed to reporting.