House conservatives are seeking assurances on government funding and aid to Ukraine from House Speaker Mike Johnson in exchange for dropping their push to oust him.
House conservatives, led by Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, met with Speaker Mike Johnson behind closed doors for roughly two hours on Monday afternoon to discuss their demands for government funding and aid to Ukraine. The meeting comes amidst the conservatives' threat to force a House-wide vote on Johnson's removal.
Sources familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital that the conservatives are seeking four key points from Johnson:
1. No further funding for Ukraine
2. Blocking the investigation of former President Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith
3. No House-wide vote on legislation without the support of a majority of the House GOP (Hastert rule)
4. Adherence to the Massie rule, requiring automatic federal spending cuts if a budget agreement is not reached by September 30, 2025
Greene and Massie declined to provide details to reporters after the meeting but indicated that they would have a follow-up discussion with Johnson on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Representative Paul Gosar, the third GOP member who signed onto Greene's motion to vacate the chair, suggested to reporters that he preferred Johnson be given more time to adjust his course. "I don't think it's going to happen this week," Gosar said. "I hope it doesn't happen this week."
Greene's push to oust Johnson stems from conservative frustrations over his bipartisan work on critical legislation related to government funding and foreign aid. House Democrats have pledged to block the ouster vote by tabling the resolution, a move that could save Johnson but potentially escalate conservative frustrations.
Johnson described the meeting as "lengthy" but "constructive." He acknowledged the frustrations of the conservatives but emphasized the challenges of working with a narrow majority in the House.
The conservatives' demands are seen as a challenge to Johnson's leadership and a potential obstacle to his ability to advance conservative legislation. If Johnson fails to meet their demands, the ouster effort could gain momentum, potentially leading to a House-wide vote on his removal.
The outcome of the ongoing discussions between Johnson and the conservatives remains uncertain. The conservatives have signaled a willingness to drop their ouster push if Johnson addresses their concerns, but Johnson has not publicly committed to meeting all of their demands. The situation is expected to develop further in the coming days.
