Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has indicated plans to expand Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s role within the Republican caucus after several efforts to ease tensions between them over the past two weeks.
Johnson and Greene held a private, reportedly “productive” meeting last week, which the speaker confirmed on Tuesday. When asked about the outcome, Johnson said the two discussed Greene’s position within the GOP.
“We talked about her role and her skill set, and her potential that she brings to the table. And I want her to be more involved,” Johnson told reporters in Washington, according to Politico reporter Jordain Carney.
The meeting came shortly after House Republicans unanimously nominated Johnson to remain as speaker in the next Congress, marking a significant achievement for the Louisiana lawmaker amid earlier resistance within the conference. Johnson’s endorsement by President-elect Donald Trump played a key role in solidifying his standing.
Newsweek reached out to Johnson and Greene for comment on Tuesday.
The January 3 speaker vote on the House floor looms, where Johnson will again need near-unanimous support from the GOP to secure the gavel. However, he faces the challenge of managing a slim Republican majority and mounting pressure from various factions within his party, particularly from Trump’s staunch supporters.
Greene, a prominent member of the GOP’s MAGA wing, has both supported and sharply criticized Johnson during his tenure. Earlier this year, she led an unsuccessful motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, citing dissatisfaction with his leadership.
Even in the lead-up to last week’s nomination, Greene openly criticized Johnson, attributing the GOP’s disappointing election performance to his leadership. Speaking to CNN‘s Manu Raju, Greene said, “We should have a major majority, a supermajority. We don’t have that. I think just based on the performance of this Congress… This Congress has had a lot of failures, in the eyes of our voters and the eyes of the American people.”
Greene went on to argue that voters gave a mandate for the policies championed by Trump. When asked whether Johnson was to blame, she replied, “Yes, his leadership, unfortunately. He passed, fully passed, the Biden-Harris agenda.”
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The depth of Greene’s influence within the GOP is evident in her legislative priorities.
Representative Nancy Mace recently stated that Johnson promised to include her transgender bathroom bill in the House rules package. If he fails to do so, Mace said she would push to amend the package. Greene also commented on the matter, stating that, while Johnson did not fully commit to her on the issue, he assured her that such policies would not be “tolerated.”
She has also laid out specific demands for the GOP agenda, including halting U.S. aid to Ukraine, defunding federal investigations into Trump and reinstating the Hastert Rule, which requires a majority of Republican support for any legislation brought to the floor. Earlier this year, Greene expressed frustration with Johnson’s compromises, saying, “We’re breaking all the rules.”
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