Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) told Breitbart News Saturday that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wants to become “King Johnson” just like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became “Queen Pelosi.”
Spartz was one of the 11 House Republicans to vote against the motion to table Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) motion to vacate, or remove Johnson as the leader of the House.
Reps. Spartz, Greene, Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Barry Moore (R-AL), and Chip Roy (R-TX) all voted against the motion.
Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Barry Moore (R-AL), Chip Roy (R-TX), Victoria Spartz (R-IN), along with Marjorie Taylor Greene, were the Republicans who voted against tabling the motion to vacate to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (Wikimedia Commons).
Spartz said that the move against Johnson was to ensure that the leader of the “People’s House” does not achieve near monarchical power.
She explained to Breitbart News Saturday host Matthew Boyle, “I’ve always said a lot of Americans died not to have kings and queens. And we’ve created an environment when Speaker Pelosi became Speaker, we had Queen Pelosi, and Kevin McCarthy wanted to be King McCarthy, and Johnson wanted to be King Johnson. That’s not how that institution should be run. And the rules and the accountability of the Speaker are extremely important.”
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) talks to newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) after the House of Representatives held an election at the U.S. Capitol on October 25, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty)
Spartz emphasized that conservatives fought to make the House more open and more transparent at the beginning of this congressional term.
“We fought a lot at this beginning of this Congress to tighten the rules to have accountability, to have a motion to vacate, to have a 72-hour rule, have one subject-matter bills; it’s extremely important. And I’ve fought with a lot of conservatives to get it done,” she said.
However, Spartz said that Johnson struck a deal with Democrats to keep him in power.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Louisiana, attend a statue unveiling ceremony of Daisy Bates, of Arkansas, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).
“When Speaker Johnson came, he understood the rules don’t allow him to be a king, he suspended them, and made a deal with Democrats,” the Hoosier conservative said.
She remarked that with the Democrat-Republican coalition government, Johnson has been able to push omnibus spending bills, legislation that does not address the border crisis, pass a Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reauthorization bill that does not require a warrant for searches of Americans’ communications.
“That’s sad to see,” Spartz said.
Also sad is making of “deals with the other side before you even talk to conservatives.” She talked about having “a Republican agenda on the floor,” and added, “but I think Speaker Johnson decided it would be easier to make deals with Democrats. It might be easier, but [it is] destructive for the country.”
Breitbart News Saturday airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Eastern.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
