Last month, the House Freedom Caucus, renowned for its strong unity, made an unforeseen decision, voting to expel GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia from their ranks. This move was a response to Greene’s explicit name-calling incident targeting a fellow caucus member, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, on the House floor.
Freedom Caucus board member, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, confirmed the decision to oust Greene from the group. He noted, “It was deemed necessary to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Freedom Caucus in light of her recent actions.”
When asked if Greene is indeed formally out of the group, Harris responded with an affirmative, “As far as I’m aware, yes.”
Harris was candid in his disapproval of Greene’s behavior, especially her choice of language toward a fellow caucus member. “We expect our members to maintain a certain level of decorum when referring to fellow members, especially female members,” he remarked, calling the expulsion an “appropriate action”.
Greene’s standing within the caucus had been shaky for a while, according to Harris. The frustration started to mount when she agreed to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s debt ceiling deal with President Joe Biden in May, even before the Freedom Caucus had negotiated its concessions from McCarthy for their support. This premature support by Greene for McCarthy to become a speaker didn’t sit well with the caucus members.
“All of these factors played a role in the decision,” said Harris. However, he suggested that her inappropriate comment against another member was the final straw, saying, “Publicly disrespecting another member in such terms is something we cannot accept.”
Interestingly, this expulsion marks a first for the Freedom Caucus, which has never before removed a member from its ranks.
The controversial comment by Greene was reportedly a response to Boebert forcing floor action on articles of impeachment against President Biden in late June. Greene had introduced similar articles of impeachment before, which Boebert did not co-sponsor. This led to a heated conversation between the two, as Greene recounted to Fox News after the incident.
“When I introduce new legislation, I make it a point to communicate with all of my Republican colleagues,” Greene stated. She implied that Boebert did not extend the same courtesy, leading to the intense exchange.
This unanticipated development within the Freedom Caucus surely signifies a significant turn of events and leaves us wondering what comes next in the constantly evolving political landscape.
