House Speaker Mike Johnson has temporarily stalled a political coup attempt by a trio of conservative hard-liners after negotiating for nearly two hours with their ringleader, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Ms. Greene told reporters she will hold a second meeting with Mr. Johnson on Tuesday morning.
The Georgia Republican is threatening to use an arcane motion this week to force a vote to oust Mr. Johnson, whom she accused of capitulating to Democrats on top conservative issues.
She could have initiated the move as early as Monday night, but instead will continue talks with Mr. Johnson, she said.
“We just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. We’re talking to him again tomorrow, based on our discussion today,” she said.
Ms. Greene had the backing of two other conservative Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who also attended the meeting with the speaker, and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
But nearly all other Republicans opposed bringing up a vote to throw out Mr. Johnson and she was under pressure from the Republican National Committee to halt her threat.
A detente with Ms. Greene would spare Mr. Johnson a politically painful vote that would require at least some Democrats to vote for him to prevent his removal, thanks to a razor-slim GOP majority.
The Louisiana Republican has been speaker for a little more than six months and won the job after another conservative coup forced out then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican.
Republican leaders warned that throwing out Mr. Johnson, or forcing him to keep his job with Democratic votes, would damage the party ahead of the November election.
Mr. Johnson told The Washington Times a move to oust him is “a recipe for chaos,” and would hurt the conservative agenda.
He told reporters Monday after the meeting that the group “have discussed some ideas,” and would meet again Tuesday.
“I told them, and I’ve said this repeatedly that I understand the frustration, I share it, I would really like to advance much more of our conservative policy on a daily basis here,” he said. “But the reality is, we are working with the smallest majority in U.S. history with a one-vote margin, it makes it very difficult for us — to use my football metaphor, as I often do — to throw touchdown passes on every single play, it’s very difficult.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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