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Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Going to War with the GOP

U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.

Marjorie Taylor Greene just won’t vote for Kevin McCarthy Just Yet: Kevin McCarthy speaker battle widens schism between Marjorie Taylor Greene, House’s right flank – Tuesday was one of the strangest days in the recent history of the United States Congress, as the Congress opened but the House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker. It was the first time since 1923, 100 years ago, that the speaker wasn’t elected on the first ballot. 

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Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stood for speaker but failed to gain enough votes to win on any of the three ballots cast on Tuesday, thanks to defections from the House GOP’s right flank that kept him from earning the necessary 218 votes.

McCarthy, in fact, lost votes as the rounds went on, with the members of the rebellion voting on the second and third ballots for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). 

As a result, none of the new members of Congress were sworn in as scheduled on Tuesday and no House rules were passed, even as Jordan is a part of the leadership and has endorsed McCarthy. 

Democrats, meanwhile, held their caucus together, with all agreeing to back Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who is the party’s chosen successor to outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi agreed to step down from the House Democratic leadership after the midterms but will remain in Congress. 

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), part of the anti-McCarthy faction, even wrote a letter Tuesday to the Architect of the Capitol, complaining that McCarthy had taken office space in the Speaker’s office.

“How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter?” Mr. Gaetz wrote in the letter, per the New York Times. “Please write back promptly as it seems Mr. McCarthy can no longer be considered speaker-designate following today’s balloting.”

Also notable on Tuesday?

The schism appears to have widened between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and her erstwhile colleagues on the right of the Republican Caucus in the House. Greene supports McCarthy’s Speaker candidacy, while others, including Gaetz and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), are opposed. 

Greene addressed that Tuesday, before C-SPAN’s cameras. Among her complaints was that the proposed rules package, which Greene had touted on Twitter earlier in the week, remains in limbo. 

She also complained that, in the negotiations the night before Tuesday’s votes, members of the Freedom Caucus had demanded specific positions on committees, as part of their negotiations with McCarthy. 

“I want you all to know that I have not done that for myself,” Greene told C-SPAN. “The only thing I have done is debate and request and argue amongst my peers for the right things for the rules package and our agenda for the American people. I haven’t asked for one thing for myself, and I’m the only Republican who has zero committees.” 

Greene had been removed from her committees early in the last Congress, by the Democratic leadership and a subsequent vote, in reaction to some of her controversial comments. McCarthy did say in a November interview with CNN that he planned to reinstate Greene to committees, which is one potential reason why Greene has chosen to back McCarthy. 

“I found out that it’s my Freedom Caucus colleagues, and my supposed plans who did that, and they asked nothing for me,” Greene added in the interview. “That’s what I found out in [the Republican meeting].”

She went on to add that conservatives who “the base support… aren’t so perfect either.” She criticized Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) because he “refused to vote against the bill that was all against the gay marriage bill.”

Greene also ripped Gaetz, for voting for Paul Ryan for Speaker when he first got into Congress, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) for refusing to object to the election results on January 6, 2021. And she criticized Rep. Bob Good and Boebert for accepting campaign money from McCarthy in the past. 

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Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Written By

Stephen Silver is a journalist, essayist, and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.