Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) weighed in on the state of the slim Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, following the news of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announcing his soon departure from Congress.
“Well.. Now in 2024, we will have a 1 seat majority in the House of Representatives. Congratulations Freedom Caucus for one and 105 Rep who expel our own for the other,” the congresswoman remarked.
“I can assure you Republican voters didn’t give us the majority to crash the ship,” she said, adding, “Hopefully no one dies.”
Well..
Now in 2024, we will have a 1 seat majority in the House of Representatives.
Congratulations Freedom Caucus for one and 105 Rep who expel our own for the other.
I can assure you Republican voters didn’t give us the majority to crash the ship.
Hopefully no one dies.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 6, 2023
According to the Hill, “Republicans will only be able to afford three GOP defections to pass any party-line legislation,” after McCarthy’s departure, and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) is also expected to exit Congress next year.
With Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) leading the effort, House GOP forced McCarthy out of his role as Speaker in October, replacing him with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) weeks later.
HISTORIC: House Votes to Remove Kevin McCarthy from Speakership
U.S. House of Representatives
On Thursday, McCarthy revealed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he will resign from his House seat at the end of the month, although he pledged to “serve America in new ways.”
“I know my work is only getting started,” he wrote.
Then, last week, 105 Republicans voted to expel now-former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from Congress. However, 112 did not, and many warned that the unprecedented action — expelling him despite the fact that he had not been convicted of a crime — could be used as “political warfare” in the future.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) faces reporters at the Capitol in Washington, early Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. After a scathing report by the House Ethics Committee citing egregious violations, Santos could be expelled from Congress this week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
“Given the merging of politics and justice these days, an expulsion vote could be used as political warfare or to tip the scale in a decision of an ongoing court case,” Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) warned.
“It seems the sentence is being handed down before the conviction,” he added. “Congress should follow the precedent of the last 232 years and only vote to expel once a member is convicted of a crime or treason.”
My statement on today’s vote: pic.twitter.com/LlLxY99Iov
— Rep. Doug LaMalfa (@RepLaMalfa) December 1, 2023
Republican Rep. French Hill (R-AR) agreed, noting that the vote sets a “dangerous precedent.”
I believe that expelling a Member of Congress before conviction sets a dangerous precedent, which is why today I voted no to expel Rep. George Santos.
My full statement, below:https://t.co/miEno3MAZW
— French Hill (@RepFrenchHill) December 1, 2023
The special election for Santos’s seat will be held February 13 as Republicans hope to at least hold on to their slim majority in the 2024 elections.
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