Second Lawmaker Joins Push to Oust Speaker Mike Johnson

House Speaker Mike Johnson defiantly rejected a new call for his resignation, a day after the embattled party leader introduced a plan to pass bills funding Ukraine, Israel and other overseas allies.

The comments came after Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.), a sharp critic of further aid to Ukraine, said Tuesday morning that he is planning to join Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) on her motion to vacate the speaker chair, which could lead to a vote to oust the speaker. Greene filed the motion last month, but hasn’t moved to force a vote. 

“I am not resigning and it is in my view an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply trying to do our job,” Johnson told reporters.  

“We need steady hands at the wheel. I regard myself as a wartime speaker,” he said, pointing to the challenges facing the country and his narrow majority. “I didn’t anticipate that this would be an easy path.”

Johnson