‘We have to let the constitutional process and our constitutional responsibility play out,’ Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) declined to commit to a vote on whether or not to impeach President Biden over the situation at the southern border during a June 4 press conference.
Questions were put to the speaker following reports that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) would attempt to impose a vote via privileged resolution.
“I’m not making any commitment on that this morning,” Mr. Johnson said when asked about Ms. Greene’s comments the day before. “We have to let the constitutional process and our constitutional responsibility play out.”
“We need to take action: impeach Biden, pressure NY to drop its false charges against President Trump, and use the power of the purse. The clown show in DC has gone on long enough. It’s time we start putting America First!”
During the press conference, Mr. Johnson asserted that it was possible the current president has committed impeachable offenses but pointed to the importance of respecting Congress’s impeachment process. However, the speaker was clear about his personal opinion on the president.
“I think President Biden’s the worst president in the history of the country. And there may well be impeachable offenses,” he added. “There’s an investigation process that’s gone about, that has been looked at, of our committees of jurisdiction, and the process continues.”
The comments came less than 24 hours after Ms. Greene told reporters she was considering forcing a vote on her articles of impeachment against President Biden for his handling of the situation at the southern border. The impeachment resolution accuses the president of violating his oath of office and failing to follow immigration laws.
The Georgia Republican said she was going to trigger her resolution Monday night but decided to hold off until she spoke with Mr. Johnson. She made the threat the night before President Biden was expected to roll out an executive order cracking down on the situation at the southern border.
“I’m mad,” she told reporters. “I didn’t come up here to hang out with everybody and go ‘oh, hey, guys.’ I mean, my people at home are mad. Everybody across this country are furious. We don’t want a banana republic — we want an actual legitimate government. We want a real justice system. We don’t have one right now.”
Mr. Johnson also addressed his conversation with Ms. Greene, saying the talk was “productive.”
The push by Ms. Greene came less than a month after the congresswoman’s motion to vacate the speakership came to a vote before the House of Representatives.
After meeting with the speaker twice in the course of a week to discuss her grievances and demands, Ms. Greene prompted a vote which took place on May 8.
Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), then proposed a measure to postpone Ms. Greene’s motion to vacate, which passed by a margin of 359 to 43. The ouster attempt was supported by eleven Republicans who voted in favor of the speaker’s removal.
House Democrat leaders had previously indicated that they would assist in safeguarding Mr. Johnson in the event of Ms. Greene’s censure vote. They cited his assistance in the passage of $95 billion in foreign aid for the Indo-Pacific, Israel, and Ukraine.
Mr. Johnson indicated he would be willing to move the disagreements with Ms. Greene after the Georgia Republican’s motion to vacate failed.
“I don’t hold grudges,” Mr. Johnson said during a May 9 appearance on “Fox and Friends.” The lawmaker went on to say, “I told her last night before we left the floor: ‘Let’s move on, Marjorie. I’m OK with this. Let’s move on.’”
Jackson Richman and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.
