The Republican-dominated US House of Representatives, with the help of President Joe Biden’s Democrats, rejected a vote of no confidence against Republican leader Mike Johnson. This was a blow to radical Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had threatened her party colleague Johnson with this vote for weeks. Despite initial hesitation from Democrats, many of them rallied behind Johnson to avert a vote of no confidence, likely as a return for his support for aid to Ukraine.
Johnson, who had only taken over the office six months ago, expressed hope that this defeat for Greene would put an end to distractions and profiling attempts in the chamber. With the chaos within their own ranks, many Republicans supported Johnson, who holds a position second only to the president and vice president in the US ranking. This comes after Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted with the help of radical Republicans in October. The Republicans, with a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, faced a tumultuous period leading up to this vote.
Greene, a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, had submitted a proposal to remove Johnson from his position after he allowed a vote in the House of Representatives on a budget package that Republican hardliners rejected. Many Democrats saw this move as an attempt by Greene to weaken Johnson’s leadership and gain power for herself. However, despite initial hesitation from some Democrats, they ultimately decided to rally behind Johnson and reject Greene’s proposal.
The defeat for Greene was seen as a victory for Johnson and his supporters within the Republican party. It also came at a time when tensions were high between Republicans and Democrats over issues such as vaccine mandates and election laws. With both parties continuing to argue their positions on these issues, it is likely that tensions will continue to boil over in Congress in the coming weeks and months.