Georgia’s most vocal and controversial Republican, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene, went on Real America’s Voice with extreme right host Steve Bannon on January 11.
One of the things they talked about was the new House Republicans led by Mike Johnson, who was just named Speaker of the House, and how the GOP has repeatedly failed to pass any spending bill other than extending the terms of the one drafted by Democrats. If the funding bill ran out at any point, the government would have to close down.
Republicans have frequently passed a continuing resolution to extend the terms of the funding bill that Democrats approved. Many MAGA-Republicans, including MTG, thought that the hiring of Speaker Johnson would bring about change in Congress, but that hasn’t happened. At the beginning of the week, it became public that Johnson was working with Democrat Chuck Schumer to agree to the next delay.
Marjorie Taylor-Greene thinks that the American people aren’t too worried about the possibility of a government shutdown, and she thinks it would be best to let it happen. It’s not clear if her more than 6,000 people who work for the government and wouldn’t get paid if there was a shutdown would agree.
Lee: In Comer’s district, Republicans’ shutdown will cost 8,937 of his constituents their paychecks. Jim Jordan’s district, Republican’ shutdown, cost 3,939 of his constituents their paychecks. And Marjorie Taylor Greene, 6,306 of her constituents. pic.twitter.com/No8ovDwOi2
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 28, 2023
Republicans are afraid of a shutdown for one reason, as MTG explained to Steve Bannon:
“They find it embarrassing… Regular Americans could care less about a shutdown. They view the capitol as the exact, the complete cause of all of their woes.”
One last set of angry words was directed at Speaker Mike Johnson:
“Every day Mike Johnson gets closer and closer to this deal brings me closer and closer to vacating the chair because I have absolutely had it.”
After greeting Johnson’s appointment, it is evident that MTG has had enough of Speaker Johnson, a position she has previously expressed.
Division within the Republican party
Some Republicans, like Matt Gaetz, have also said they don’t like Speaker Johnson, and some conservative media personalities, like the outspoken Laura Loomer, have called him a “RINO Conman.” The future of the Louisiana Republican, who was once seen as their savior by the GOP, looks uncertain.
Republicans are very divided, and it’s not just because of the Speaker of the House. Georgia’s MTG has said things and other things have happened in Congress that make this clear.
Recently, MTG-backed New York Republican George Santos was removed from office, which made the Republican majority even smaller. With it now barely holding on, it looks like Republicans won’t be able to make the changes their people want.
MTG is headed for additional challenges
In this situation, it looks like Georgia’s MTG will have to deal with more anger from her fellow Republicans. In the past, she has said things that make it sound like she understands how Republican voters feel about how little progress the party has made in recent months.
It looks like she might not have as much in common with her voters as she thinks. She says things that make it sound like people don’t care about a shutdown, but she forgets that thousands of her own followers would lose their jobs if it happened.