Speaker Mike Johnson says he's "not resigning" as effort to remove him gains new backer

Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a new call by another Republican lawmaker to step down or face removal, but he said Tuesday he's not resigning.

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie said Tuesday that he'd co-sponsor a motion to vacate the speaker filed last month by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. She laid the groundwork for an eventual vote to strip Johnson of his gavel after he worked with Democrats to approve a government funding package and avert a partial shutdown weeks ago. But Greene has yet to commit to a timeline on calling for a vote on the resolution to remove Johnson.  

Massie said he told Johnson in the closed-door Republican conference meeting Tuesday morning that he would co-sponsor the motion to vacate, adding in a post on social media that Johnson "should pre-announce his resignation" so the conference can work on selecting his replacement. But Johnson said at a news conference after the meeting that he is "not resigning," calling it "an absurd notion" that someone would bring a motion to vacate "when we are simply here trying to do our jobs."