GOP lawmakers express irritation as Greene skips all votes this week, weakening the party’s narrow House majority.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Several House Republicans are voicing frustration with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., after she failed to cast a single vote this week—despite announcing last month that she intends to resign from Congress in early January.
Greene, who has long been one of the most polarizing figures in the GOP, revealed in November that she would step down following Thanksgiving, citing deep disillusionment with Washington politics. However, her absence from the chamber in the weeks leading up to her departure has sparked anger from colleagues who say she still owes her constituents a full term of service.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chair of the House Freedom Caucus, told The Hill he was “disappointed” that Greene had stopped participating in votes. “Someone who runs for an office and promises their constituents two years of service ought to serve those two years,” Harris said. “But that’s her choice.”
Other Republicans were less diplomatic. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who has publicly clashed with Greene over Israel policy, said he was relieved she would soon be gone. “I’m glad she’s leaving. Good riddance. I just wish she’d get it over with,” Fine said, calling Greene’s delay “selfish” because it prevents a special election from being scheduled before her resignation. “It’s clear she never cared about the cause or the conservative movement. She just cares about herself.”
Another GOP lawmaker, speaking anonymously to The Hill, said voting was “one of the fundamental responsibilities” of serving in Congress. “It appears Marjorie is no longer interested in taking care of that responsibility,” the member said. “That’s unfortunate.”
Greene announced on November 21 that she would officially resign on January 5—just after reaching the five-year threshold to qualify for a congressional pension. In her statement, she said she refused to be a “battered wife” to the political establishment, arguing that “nothing gets better for the American people” no matter which party controls Congress.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., echoed the view that lawmakers should fulfill their elected terms unless facing health, legal, or personal crises. “Members should finish the job they were sent here to do,” Bacon said after Greene’s announcement.
Her absence has immediate consequences for the GOP’s razor-thin majority. With the House split nearly evenly, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford to lose only three Republican votes on key legislation if all Democrats oppose it. Without Greene present, that margin drops to just two.
Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., acknowledged the difficulty her absence creates for leadership. “We always need every vote we can get,” Hern told The Hill. “It’d be great if she was here. We don’t know if she will be back next week. Don’t know what she did this week. I mean, that’s between her and her constituents.”
With just weeks left in her term, Greene’s silence and absence have left many colleagues wondering whether her early exit will mark the end of a volatile congressional career—or simply the prelude to her next political act.
Original article
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