Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) sharply criticized Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) for pushing forward with her effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from his post despite the prevailing consensus in the conference against such an effort.
“She’s going to lose. I don’t know why she’s doing this, because the votes aren’t there. She’s going to lose the motion to vacate, and I don’t know why she’s doing it,” Mace said in an interview on Newsmax, first highlighted by Mediaite.
Mace’s remarks reflect the growing sentiment in the GOP conference.
Greene announced last week that she would move to force a vote on Johnson’s ouster this week after dangling her motion to vacate resolution over his head for more than a month.
She has strongly criticized Johnson for his propensity to cut legislative deals with Democrats, particularly taking issue with the Speaker’s government funding package, the reauthorization of the U.S.’s warrantless surveillance powers, and a foreign aid package that included billions of dollars for Ukraine.
Greene has secured support from two other members, but most in her party have criticized her effort — even if they agree with Greene’s criticism of Johnson. Along with Democrats’ public assurance that they would vote to save Johnson, conservative skepticism has ensured Greene’s motion would fail.
Mace, who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) late last year, called for party unity.
“I want us to unite the party and show the American people that we can lead. And how we’re going to lead in shutting down the border, how we’re going to stop the invasion, how we’re going to stem the tide of inflation and massive spending that’s happened over the past years and decades, and what we’re going to do to make sure that peoples’ lives are more affordable, more prosperous, and more successful,” Mace said. “That’s the message that we need to focus on as a party.”