House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is finally speaking out about the ongoing threats to his job from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) — and he is at once chastising her and pleading with her to work with him.
Greene, a far-right lawmaker known for antagonizing fellow Republicans, and who was close to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy before he was booted from the gavel, has leveled constant warnings at Johnson to stop passing routine funding packages, and to not hold a vote on defense aid to Ukraine. She has threatened to call a motion to vacate Johnson's speakership, and even suggested he is being blackmailed to do President Joe Biden's bidding.
Johnson, after days of this standoff, is finally hitting back at Greene's attacks in a lengthy statement reported by CNN congressional correspondent Manu Raju.
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"I respect Marjorie. She will always have an open door to the Speaker’s office. We do have honest differences on strategy sometimes but share the same conservative beliefs," said Johnson. “In spite of our Republican majority of just a single seat in just one chamber of Congress, we are still fighting this administration every day to make policy changes. A shutdown would not serve our party or assist us in our mission of saving the republic by growing our majority, nor will another motion to vacate."
“As I have always said, national security starts at our southern border," said Johnson — despite the fact that he helped tank a bipartisan Senate negotiation to improve border security after former President Donald Trump voiced his opposition to it. "Any funding of the President’s supplemental request should be premised on meaningful policy to help the American people and finally address the invasion at our southern border.”
Per Raju, Johnson and Greene are expected to meet for a discussion on Friday.