House Freedom Caucus voted to remove Greene before July Fourth break, congressman says

CNN
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A majority of the House Freedom Caucus voted to remove GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia just before the current congressional recess on June 23, according to Republican Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, though her ultimate fate in the group remains unclear.

“A vote was taken to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Freedom Caucus – for some of the things she’s done,” Harris told reporters Thursday. According to Harris, Greene can no longer attend weekly meetings as they are reserved for members. This would be the first time a member has been ejected from the caucus. Politico first reported the vote.

It is unclear if the process is officially complete as members are still out of town and the rules for kicking out a member of the Freedom Caucus are tightly held. CNN has reached out to the caucus for comment.

“As far as I know, that’s the way it is,” Harris said when asked if Greene is officially out after the vote occurred.

Greene did not address her membership status when asked for comment, instead saying in a statement that she will “never change” her character, and, “In Congress, I serve Northwest Georgia first, and serve no group in Washington.”

“My America First credentials, guided by my Christian faith, are forged in steel, seared into my character, and will never change,” she said. “I will work with ANYONE who wants to secure our border, protect our children inside the womb and after they are born, end the forever foreign wars, and do the work to save this country.”

Greene added: “The GOP has less than two years to show America what a strong, unified Republican-led congress will do when President Trump wins the White House in 2024. This is my focus, nothing else.”

MTG lashed out at Boebert on the House floor. Hear how Boebert responded

Harris declined to say how he voted but said he “thought the action was an appropriate action.” He cited the confrontation between Greene and GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado as “the straw that broke the camel’s back” that led to her ouster. Before the recess, CNN reported that Greene called Boebert “a little bitch” on the House floor.

“I think the way she referred to a fellow member was probably not the way we expect our members to refer to their fellow, especially female, members,” Harris added.

A spokesperson for Boebert declined to say how she voted at the June Freedom Caucus meeting.

“There was nothing personal about Congresswoman Boebert’s vote regarding MTG’s membership status in the House Freedom Caucus,” Boebert spokesperson Joey Hungerford said in a statement.

Harris confirmed the vote took place the morning that Congress left town before the July Fourth recess, following the group’s executive board meeting the day before. Harris gave a full-throated support of House Freedom Caucus chairman Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, saying he is doing a “great job” and he is a “true leader.”

Greene entered Congress in 2021 as an outsider with a history of promoting far-right extremist and debunked conspiracy theories, but quickly pivoted by aligning herself with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his leadership team. Unlike the majority of the House Freedom Caucus, Greene stood by McCarthy in his fight to become speaker and opposed members of the group who blockaded the House floor for a week over the debt ceiling deal House GOP leaders negotiated with the White House.

This story has been updated with additional developments.