The House of Representatives passed a large $1.2 trillion spending package this week to avert a government shutdown. While the federal government will remain open for the near future, the effort could have large implications on national politics as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed a motion to vacate against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
The House’s approval of the spending bill brought significant criticism from conservative members of the House. It passed the chamber in a 286-134 vote. The bill keeps the government open ahead of a Friday midnight deadline that could have shut down several departments in the federal government.
As a result, the House may have traded one potential leadership crisis for another. Fewer than half of the House’s Republicans voted for the bill, attracting just 101 yea votes. Congress passed the 1,012-page bill with almost $900 billion in funding for the Pentagon.
Greene filed the motion to vacate against Johnson, stating that it was “more of a warning than a pink slip.”
While the spending package made it through the House, it now moves onto the Senate, which could spark another debate. However, since Democrats control the chamber, it is likely to pass relatively quickly.
It’s a serious problem when—in a Republican-controlled House—the House repeatedly passes bills that most Democrats support and most Republicans oppose.
It’s even worse when they’re spending our country over the edge and ignoring imminent threats caused by Biden’s open border. https://t.co/jw7ZT4LX1W
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 23, 2024
Greene’s move could continue the ongoing struggle over control over the House. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) faced multiple votes for the position prior to securing the majority of the chamber. Amid holdouts from the House Freedom Caucus, McCarthy was forced to make several concessions, including that a motion to vacate could be filed by a single member of the House.
The same measure was used against McCarthy last year when a group of House Freedom Caucus members led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) had enough votes to topple McCarthy from the position.
Following McCarthy’s exit, there were multiple attempts to fill the speaker’s chair that did not attract a majority of the members of the House. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) sought the chair but could not put together enough votes. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) exited consideration due to an ongoing fight with cancer.
