Mike Johnson and Marjorie Taylor Greene Clash Over GOP Shutdown Strategy

Tensions boiled over in the GOP ranks this week as Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene clashed during a private conference call meant to unify House Republicans amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Greene, never one to pull punches, accused GOP leadership of wasting their narrow House majority by keeping lawmakers in their home districts instead of actively legislating in Washington. Speaker Johnson has been coordinating weekly calls from afar a strategy designed to pressure Senate Democrats to accept the GOP’s federal funding proposal. But not everyone is convinced it’s working.

“You guys need to get out of Washington, D.C., and go back to your districts and talk to real people, because real people are pissed,” Greene said, according to sources on the call. Her frustration centered around the Republican silence on major issues like the expiration of COVID-era Obamacare subsidies a Democratic priority that could sneak through if the GOP doesn't take a hard stand now.

To Greene, this isn’t just a tactical error it’s a betrayal of voters who handed Republicans the House to fight, not to fold. She went as far as to question President Trump’s recent direction, stating that even he is “losing support” due to the party’s inaction. This isn’t just a disagreement over process it’s a fight over what kind of Republican Party voters can count on in 2024.

Johnson pushed back, claiming Republicans have already passed legislation and are still “working around the clock” to negotiate a deal. He pointed to the short-term funding bill passed on Sept. 19 one that Democrats in the Senate have rejected 13 times since. Yet despite that clear rejection, the House has remained out of session.

• Johnson has kept the House away from D.C. for over a month during a government shutdown.

• Senate Democrats have rejected the GOP’s funding package 13 times.

• Obamacare subsidy extensions the Democrats’ priority remain a sticking point in the stalled negotiations.

Even more frustrating to Greene: Johnson wouldn't provide a single specific GOP policy proposal on healthcare, despite claiming his team had "pages of ideas" and committees hard at work. Greene sarcastically noted that it sounded like she'd have to go into a classified briefing just to find out what Republicans plan to do about health care.

While several Republicans backed Johnson on the call, not everyone fell in line. Reps. Kevin Kiley and Dan Crenshaw also raised concerns about keeping lawmakers away from Washington while critical issues go unresolved.

This clash exposes a deeper rift inside the GOP: a divide between those pushing for bold action and those preferring quiet negotiation. While the Democrats press forward with their agenda, including trying to lock in more unaffordable healthcare subsidies, Republicans can’t afford to look indecisive or absent.

Voters elected a Republican majority to do something to fight inflation, secure the border, and dismantle what’s left of Biden’s failing legacy. If Republicans can’t even agree on a shutdown strategy, how will they lead after 2024?

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