WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans will be forced to be on the list and defend or punish Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, which has issued a bipartisan condemnation of her embrace of far-right conspiracy theories, as well as her previous endorsement of violence against Democrats.
The politically painful vote expected Thursday that will determine whether the Georgian Republican is stripped of her committee duties underscores the tension over the best political path forward the party has torn apart since Donald Trump lost the White House..
Democrats issued an ultimatum earlier this week, telling House Republicans to get rid of Greene from her committee duties – or they would. Bipartisan pressure built after Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell called Greene’s ‘crazy lies’ a “cancer” for the party.
But House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Ruled out taking action on Wednesday. Instead, he accused Democrats of a “partisan seizure of power” for attacking Greene, who once suggested that a Jewish-owned financial company may have been involved in a plot to start wildfires in California using a space laser.
“If this isn’t the bottom, I don’t know what it is,” said Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Chair of the House Rules Committee, before a resolution was sent to the House to strip Greene of her posts.
McCarthy’s decision to back Greene comes at a time when the party has become ideologically adrift after the loss of Trump, and is struggling to embrace his norm-breaking divisions or the GOP’s more traditional, policy-oriented conservative values.
On Wednesday, House Republicans blocked an attempt by conservative hardliners to get the No. 3 House Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., From her leading role. Cheney, a daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, infuriated Trump supporters by voting to impeach him about the riot at the Capitol.
By sticking with both women, McCarthy sought to placate traditional conservatives as well as populists like Greene, who emulate Trump. The moves were typical of McCarthy’s preference to keep feathers from puckering as he mapped out his path to one day become a House speaker.
“Do you know what that gonna mean?” he told reporters Wednesday night. “We will win the majority in two years. That’s because this conference is more united. We have the right leadership team behind it. “
But the wings of the GOP remain concerned that the other is leading them astray, and to some, Wednesday’s outcome seemed more of an uncomfortable truce than a full-blown peace treaty.
“This is about the direction of our party and whether or not we will be a majority committed to just one person, or whether we will be a unified Republican majority,” said Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler, R-Wash., Who with Cheney was one of only 10 House Republicans to impeach Trump.
Greene has expressed his support for calls for violence against Democrats, bizarre fictions about fake school shootings and baseless QAnon theories about Democrats participating in child abuse rings.
The conspiracy theories she’s embraced emerged during a Republican closed-door caucus rally on Wednesday, which was described by those in attendance as snappy with long lines of speakers at the microphones. Some said that Greene apologized to her colleagues, although there were conflicting, vague versions of exactly what she had said.
She was remorseful. And I think she’s brought a lot of people to her side, ”said Conservative Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
That’s at odds with statements she’s made on Twitter in recent weeks, where she has vowed never to return or apologize and labeled her critics as traitors, while using democratic pressure to punish her for raise money for her campaign.
Democrats say it is politically beneficial to tie some Republicans to the far-right Greene. This week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a $ 500,000 ad campaign attempting to link eight Republicans with her and other QAnon supporters, which focuses on the false belief that top Democrats are involved in child sex trafficking and cannibalism.
McCarthy condemned Greene’s earlier statements of support for conspiracy theories – after weeks of little criticism of her – and said the congressman had acknowledged in a private conversation for the first term that she had to meet “a higher standard” as a legislator.
“I keep her word and her actions in the future,” said McCarthy.
She stormed the national political scene with Trump’s enthusiastic support.
Republicans named Greene a member of the Education and Labor Committee, a decision that was especially harshly criticized for her suggestions that mass school shootings in Connecticut and Florida could be a fraud. Greene is also on the Committee on Budgets.
McCarthy said the Democrats have turned down his offer to move Greene to the House Small Business Committee.
It is uncommon for party leaders to strip lawmakers of commission assignments, which can help them meet the needs of their district and increase campaign contributions.
In 2019, House GOP leaders removed Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who had a history of racist remarks, from the agriculture and justice panels after wondering out loud in a New York Times story about when the term “ white supremacy ” became offensive. He lost the Republican primary for his seat in 2020 and is out of Congress after serving nine terms.
In online videos and through supporting “likes” on social media, Greene has expressed support for racist beliefs, calling for violence against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama, and various false theories.