In a growing display of frustration among conservative members, Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky announced his support for the resolution introduced by Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. Massie's decision comes as dissatisfaction mounts among conservative factions over Johnson's proposed foreign aid package, which they argue aligns too closely with the agenda of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Citing his grievances with Johnson, Massie pointed to three key areas where he believes the House Speaker has let down his conference. These areas include the latest spending package, the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allowing warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals within the U.S., and the provision of aid to Ukraine.

In a response to the mounting pressure, Johnson recently announced plans to move forward with four separate bills addressing foreign aid, including aid to Israel and Ukraine. The possibility of Schumer and the White House supporting Johnson's plan has not been ruled out.

During a closed-door meeting with GOP House members on Tuesday morning, Massie revealed that he had urged Johnson to resign. However, Johnson firmly declined this request, as Massie later informed reporters.

Massie went further, suggesting that Johnson should follow the example of former GOP Speaker John Boehner and pre-announce his resignation. This would allow members to align behind a replacement without going through the drawn-out process they faced last fall when Johnson was ultimately elected as speaker. Massie warned of the potential chaos that would ensue if a motion to vacate the position of speaker were to succeed without a pre-determined replacement.

This comes nearly a month after Greene filed a motion to vacate resolution due to disagreements with Johnson over his handling of a $1.2 trillion appropriations package. The privileged status of this resolution, and when it might be brought to the floor for a vote, remains uncertain.

In response to Massie's support for the motion to vacate, South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, expressed his disagreement. Norman acknowledged his respect for Massie but believed that the removal of the speaker is not in the best interest of the country, despite his own disagreements with Johnson's actions.

Johnson himself expressed his view that steady leadership is crucial and viewed the motion-to-vacate threat as detrimental to Republican unity. He emphasized the need for members to work together and maintain a united front.

With Johnson's already tenuous majority set to shrink further when Representative Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin retires on Friday, any motion to remove Johnson would likely require support from Democrats to succeed. Representative Jared Moskowitz of Florida, a Democrat, has already voiced his intention to support Johnson in a motion-to-vacate vote.

While Democrats, led by Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, express their desire to see aid move forward for Ukraine and Israel, they also express frustration at the ongoing chaos and dysfunction within the House Republican conference. Aguilar emphasized the Democrats' focus on prioritizing aid rather than getting caught up in the theatrics of the motion to vacate.

The uncertain future of Johnson's speakership and the potential impact on foreign aid packages highlight the divisions within the Republican Party and the challenges faced by Johnson as he attempts to maintain party cohesion.