Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia, who is known for her conservative rhetoric and references to conspiracy theories, is now insisting that she will force a vote to remove Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson if he moves forward with an aid package for Ukraine.
Source. This is stated in an op-ed by CNN columnist Julian Zelizer.
With a small majority of Republicans in the House and the possibility of one of them voting to remove him, Johnson is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Green's intention to block funding for Ukraine is a serious blow to both NATO and the US position as a defender of global democracy.
One option, aimed at appeasing the far right of the Republican party, would have structured the funds for Ukraine as a loan rather than direct aid.
But this did not satisfy Taylor Green, who responded to the proposal with a strongly worded response, calling it "a bunch of bullshit".
"We don't have a Republican speaker now; we have a Democratic speaker," Green said, although a columnist calls Johnson the most conservative speaker in recent memory.
This confrontation demonstrates how far the Republican Party has moved away from the Ronald Reagan era. The party that once called on Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" is now fast becoming the party of "America First" and is effectively saying to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin: "Do whatever you want, just leave us alone," the article notes.
Republican lawmakers barely batted an eye.
With Green holding Johnson's feet to the fire when it comes to helping Ukraine, the GOP revolution is almost complete. It is clear that Trump has changed the party and the MAGA generation of Republicans is taking over.
While Johnson may still be able to make a narrow compromise that would allow him to pass an aid package for Ukraine without being removed from office, the GOP is moving in a clear direction on foreign policy. Unlike the Republican hawks of the past, the "America First" crowd is gaining ground, and the consequences will be very serious, the author believes.
This political struggle could lead to the rapid destruction of international alliances designed to limit the likelihood of war and to repel foreign dictators in their quest to expand their power.
"If Green and her colleagues prevail now, or even in the next confrontation against Ukraine, we will enter a new, uncertain and even more dangerous era," the article says.
Background. As reported, Trump's ally has filed a motion to remove Johnson from the post of House Speaker.