US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he would advance a $61 billion package of funding for Ukraine
US House Speaker Mike Johnson AFP

House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing potential fallout this week after pushing to pass a significant foreign aid package despite objections from hardline conservatives.

The House reconvened on Monday following a weeklong recess, during which the chamber approved billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region.

However, Republican Johnson, who pushed hard to pass the package, must confront the possibility of a vote to remove him from his position as Speaker.

His decision to advance the aid package had received praise from both Republicans and Democrats, who lauded the support provided to important U.S. allies. But some conservatives, including GOP Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, opposed the legislation, especially additional aid to Ukraine.

Greene criticized Johnson for what she perceived as a betrayal of Republican voters and threatened to push for a vote on his removal if he does not resign.

However, Johnson has stood firm so far, refusing to resign and cautioning against the potential chaos that could result from a vote to remove him from office.

While Greene filed a motion to vacate the speaker over a month ago, she has not yet taken further steps to push for a vote.

Two other House Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona, have publicly supported Greene's effort.

Greene has said that more House Republicans will back her effort to remove Johnson after returning home for recess and hearing from constituents. But, it remains uncertain when or if a vote on Johnson's political future will occur.

Thomas Massie, one of the two supporters of Greene's vacate motion, said he had discussed the resolution with Greene during the break.

"He should [resign]," Massie said. "Ultimately he's gonna have to decide whether he's gonna be the uniparty Speaker or not."

Johnson confirmed on Monday that he has not discussed Greene's motion with her. Greene was notably absent from the Monday evening vote series.

Many Republicans are wary of an ouster vote, fearing it could lead to further chaos within the House GOP conference. They point to the difficult process of selecting a new speaker after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in an unprecedented vote last year.

For an ouster vote to succeed, it would require a majority in the House.

Currently, there is a widespread expectation that, following the passage of Ukraine aid, enough Democrats would be willing to join Republicans to support Speaker Johnson in such a vote.