Representative Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican, recently slammed Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene amid her removal from the House Freedom Caucus, calling her behavior “irresponsible” after she “consistently attacked other members.”
Greene, a Republican who represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, rapidly became a national figure following her election to the House of Representatives in 2020 and has been widely seen as a rising star within the GOP. However, her political future may be in doubt following a vote last week by the conservative House Freedom Caucus to oust her from the influential group following a clash with fellow caucus member Representative Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican.
While speaking to NBC News’ Chuck Todd on Meet the Press Now on Wednesday, Buck said Greene is “not a member of the Freedom Caucus and she shouldn’t be in the future.”
“She has consistently attacked other members of the Freedom Caucus in an irresponsible way and as a result of that she was kicked out of the Freedom Caucus and she should not be a member,” Buck added.
NEW: @RepKenBuck (R-Colo.) says Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was “kicked out” of the Freedom Caucus after she “consistently attacked other members.”
“She is not a member of the Freedom Caucus and she shouldn’t be in the future.” pic.twitter.com/zCkf6bf0AF
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) July 12, 2023
Newsweek has reached out to Greene’s office via email for comment.
Greene and Boebert were once allies within the Republican Party, but have been feuding for the past few months, with Greene reportedly calling Boebert a “little b****” in late June on the House floor over apparent comments the Colorado congresswoman made about her in public. The Georgia representative also accused Boebert of copying articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden that she had filed. Both women, who are outspoken supporters of Donald Trump, have called for Biden’s impeachment many times in the past couple of years.
“A vote was taken to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Freedom Caucus for some of the things she’s done,” Representative Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican who is also in the House Freedom Caucus, told reporters earlier this month, declining to say how he voted. Politico first reported the move.
Harris added that Greene’s support for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and for the debt limit bill may have also contributed to getting her ousted from the group. “I think all of that mattered,” he said.
After being removed from the group, Greene tweeted a video of herself golfing, saying that the key to success is to avoid “distractions.”
Political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek on Saturday that Greene’s removal is a “significant development.”
“It shows that even within the Republican Party, there is a growing sense that Greene’s behavior is unacceptable. Her attacks on her colleagues have been irresponsible and harmful, and it’s clear that she is not a team player,” he said. “It’s possible that this could lead to more Republicans turning on Greene. Her behavior has already alienated many in the party, and this latest development could only make things worse. It’s also possible that this will affect her political future as it could be difficult for her to raise money and get support from other Republicans to get bills passed.”
Meanwhile, the House this week voted overwhelmingly to reject three of Greene’s amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—including one which would have pulled $300 million in funding from Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion—by a margin of 89-341.
In addition, the House also rejected Greene’s amendments to strike the creation of a Center of Excellence in Ukraine by 95-332, and a third demanding that no cluster munitions or cluster munitions technology be sold or sent to Ukraine by 157-276 votes.
