WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene officially called Wednesday for a vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson.

Colleagues booed in protest – and quickly throttled the motion.

This happened when House Majority Leader Steve Scalise moved to table the effort - essentially stopping it from moving forward.

Scalise's motion to table was approved by a vote of 359 to 43.

 

Greene's call to vacate was widely considered a long-shot effort despite the successful removal of a former speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last year.

Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has only been in the role for about six months; after nearly monthlong effort among the Republicans to pick a candidate and corral enough votes to land him in the leadership role.

Greene, who is one of former president Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in Congress, stood on the House floor and read a long list of “transgressions” she said Johnson had committed as speaker.

Under House rules, a vote was required within two days on a motion to vacate.

The Georgia Republican promoted to force a vote if Johnson, also a Republican, agreed to advance a foreign aid package with funds for Ukraine. That spending was overwhelmingly approved late last month and has been signed into law.

Johnson and Taylor Greene did meet on Tuesday as her threat to proceed on a motion to vacate hung in limbo.

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