A congressman is warning Republicans that the removal of U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) from the House leadership position could have dire consequences for Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul said as much during an appearance over the weekend on CBS News' Face The Nation.
Take a look:
On Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion to vacate Speaker Johnson, House Foreign Affairs Chair @RepMcCaul says it could "throw the balance of power" to the Democrats, adding, "we don't need dysfunction right now."
"With the world on fire the way it is, we need to govern." pic.twitter.com/Nk1qZ7hNw0
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 24, 2024
This is what McCaul warned Republicans about during his CBS News appearance, namely the possibility that the Democrats could essentially capture the U.S. House of Representatives if House Republicans try to remove Johnson from the speakership position.
"You know, I think it’s indicative that even [Rep.] Matt Gaetz [R-FL], who was the architect of ousting [former U.s. Rep. Kevin] McCarthy [R-CA], to say, ‘this would be a huge mistake,’ because it could actually throw the balance of power over to [House minority leader] Hakeem Jeffries [D-NY]," McCaul said.
In case you missed it, Gaetz has, at least thus far, decided not to support the removal of Johnson. This has come as a surprise to many considering his role in getting McCarthy removed.
McCaul continued by putting forth another reason why he believes that House Republicans ought not to seek the removal of Johnson.
"The other argument is we don’t need dysfunction right now. With the world on fire the way it is … we need to govern. And that is not just for Republicans, but in a bipartisan way. Get things done for the country that’s in the national security interest of the United States. This is not just Ukraine; it’s Israel and Indo-Pacific as well," McCaul said.
Talk of removing Johnson has intensified after Johnson pushed the $1.2 trillion government spending bill through the House.
The removal effort is currently being led by U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
She spoke about the effort during an appearance on Fox News on Sunday.
"Republicans are fed up with it. Republican voters want fighters in the House of Representatives to fight like President Trump, and that is exactly what I'm doing. I will force change. I'm not bringing chaos. I'm forcing change," Greene said.
Thus far, there does not appear to be as much support to remove Johnson as there was to remove McCarthy. In addition to this, Democrats have suggested that they might help Johnson to stay in power, provided that he makes certain concessions to them.
