Rep. Paul Gosar wants to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson. Here's why and what others say

Rep. Paul Gosar joined Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's effort to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson's gavel because he advanced foreign-aid legislation.

The $95 billion foreign aid package provides funding to U.S. allies — Ukraine and Israel — in their ongoing conflicts and Taiwan. With foreign funding unpopular with some Republican members of the House, Johnson, R-La., relied on House Democrats to get the legislation passed.

The bill passed 316 to 94 with 165 Democrats voting for the legislation. The Republican House majority had 151 members vote in favor.

This decision may lead to Johnson's downfall as speaker of the House of Representatives as Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted from the position last year, was voted out of his position after a similar reliance on Democrats to pass crucial legislation.

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Gosar, R-Ariz., joined Greene, R-Ga., who last month introduced the motion to vacate Johnson, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

Gosar cited the border crisis as his reason for joining the motion.

"Despite repeated promises there would be no additional money going to Ukraine without first securing our border, the House ... is on the verge of sending another $61 billion to further draw America into an endless and purposeless war in Ukraine," Gosar said Friday in a written statement.

Gosar said his district is "ground zero for the invasion" of illegal immigrants and argued that funds set for Ukraine in this legislation should be going toward securing the southern border. While Gosar's district, Arizona's 9th Congressional District, does not touch the southern border, it is very close to it, covering areas of Yuma.

"I have added my name in support of the motion to vacate the Speaker," Gosar added. "Our border cannot be an afterthought."

Greene thanked Gosar for his action to join the motion on X, formally known as Twitter. "And now there are three," she said.

While Gosar was not one of the eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy in October 2023, two Arizona Republicans were: Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane.

Both Biggs and Crane expressed their disappointment with the passing of Johnson's foreign-aid package. Crane called the legislation a part of the "American Last Agenda" on X on Friday. Biggs reiterated Crane's message, saying on X that "Johnson's coalition government now relies on Democrats to prop up America Last legislation in a supposedly Republican-controlled House."

Johnson's bill is expected to win final House approval this weekend, before going to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it is likely to pass.

Reach reporter Morgan Fischer at [email protected] or on X, formally known as Twitter, @morgfisch.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Paul Gosar has joined GOP effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson