Another Republican Backs Effort to Oust Speaker

Marjorie Taylor Greene is no longer the only Republican ready to remove Mike Johnson as House speaker. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said Tuesday he was on board, reports Politico. In fact, Massie asked Johnson to resign in a closed-door GOP session, and Johnson refused, per the Hill. Last month, Greene filed a "motion to vacate" the speaker's post, though she hasn't said when she might trigger an actual vote. She and others in the House Freedom Caucus accuse Johnson of working too closely with Democrats on several policy issues, and his decision to call a vote on aid to Ukraine further angered them.

• Johnson: "I am not resigning and it is in my view an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply trying to do our job," Johnson told reporters after the meeting, per the Wall Street Journal.

• Massie: "The motion is going to get called, OK? Does anybody doubt that?" Massie told reporters. "And then he's gonna lose more votes than Kevin McCarthy. And I have told him this in private, like weeks ago." Massie reportedly told Johnson in the meeting, "You're not going to be speaker much longer," and Axios says many attendees booed his remarks.
• Democrats: Should Greene call a vote, Johnson would almost certainly need the backing of Democrats to remain in his post, and some have said in recent weeks they would protect him if he brings Ukraine aid up for a vote, per the Hill.

(More Mike Johnson stories.)