Hi John, 

This week Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to run roughshod over Congress like a bull in a china shop.  

I was tuned into C-SPAN and could see her on the House floor, huddled with some of her far-right allies, waiting for the perfect moment to try and dethrone Speaker Mike Johnson. 

Remember – thanks to ill-advised rules changes that the far right secured at the start of this Congress, it only takes one member to set off a motion to vacate and potentially oust the Speaker of the House. They used this tool to get rid of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Congress became a global laughingstock as the House went Speaker-less for days on end, unable to function.

Greene and her allies were clearly planning on a similar outcome this time around, seeking to punish Speaker Johnson because he had relied on Democratic votes to get bills to the floor and pass them, mostly notably the recent bills that send aid to our allies in Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. In other words, they were trying to punish him for doing his job.  

But Rep. Greene’s selfish gambit failed by a vote of 359-43. Why is that?  

It’s simple – this week we saw leadership – and honesty – from the heads of both conferences who recognized the importance of a functioning government at a time where the world is getting more dangerous. 

In the Republican Conference, Speaker Johnson, an avowedly conservative member himself, earned the trust of the vast majority of his members by building open lines of communication and speaking out as to why he felt the foreign aid bills had become critical to U.S. national security. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Jeffries encouraged his members to back Speaker Johnson and oppose the motion to vacate. He praised the Speaker for having the courage to hold a vote on the foreign aid bills when many hardliners in the GOP opposed giving more funding to Ukraine. 

Likewise, in an interview this week, Johnson applauded Jeffries’ honesty: “I think what we’ve appreciated about one another is that I believe that when Hakeem Jeffries is telling me something, I believe he’s telling me the truth. I believe he is a man of his word. And I think he believes that about me as well. That’s a big thing in Washington. You know, trust is a rare commodity around here.” 

Too many members of Congress these days find it easier to demonize the other side and raise money off of causing chaos. No Labels and our commonsense majority are working to change the math of politics and reward those who have the courage to unite and lead. 

As we saw this week, it’s a pathway to a functioning Congress, and a better democracy for us all. 

Margaret White, 

No Labels 

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 By Fred Upton

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) attempt to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has little chance of succeeding. Donald Trump and even Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) have declined to rally to her side. One could argue, then, that the wise course of action would be to ignore it and starve her of the attention she’s clearly seeking. But in this case, that would be a missed opportunity for an important conversation.

Five Facts on Small-Dollar Donations
By No Labels

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been using her attempted ousting of House Speaker Mike Johnson as a vehicle for garnering small-dollar donations. Small-dollar donations – which are defined as less than $200 – play an increasingly significant role in campaigns and constitute a growing share of financing for many candidates.

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Join us for an exclusive conversation with Frank Fahrenkopf, the co-founder and co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which since 1987 has conducted the general election presidential and vice presidential debates millions of Americans watch every four years. Fahrenkopf will walk us through the historical significance of the presidential debates, how they can help shape public opinion and how this year could be different.

No Labels is always looking for more ways for our supporters to get engaged. If you’re interested in asking Frank Fahrenkopf a question about Presidential Debates, please submit it below. Our host, Ryan Clancy, will choose one of your questions to ask and, if you include your name and where you are from, he’ll ensure our guest knows the question comes straight from you!  

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