House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over her criticism of the party’s plans for health care during the government shutdown.
Greene claimed Republicans don’t have plans for health care and should be working on addressing the issue: “When it comes to the point where families are spending anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 a month and looking at hikes coming on their insurance premiums, I think that’s unforgivable,” she said.
Johnson rejected the claim, saying the lawmaker does not serve on committees that deal with health care “and she’s probably not read in on some of that.”
Greene then escalated the feud further, saying “the reality is they never talk about it” and the committee “working on health insurance and the industry, it doesn’t happen in a (secure facility).” “It’s not a major secret,” she added, noting that Johnson hasn’t called her to address her concerns.
The Republican Rep. went on to say the party “has no solution” and is “not something that we talk about frequently, but it is a reality for Americans, and it’s something that I don’t think we can ignore.”
In another passage of the interview, Greene said the Senate has some of the blame for the shutdown and that Republicans could end it by disposing the filibuster, which requires at least 60 votes to pass most legislation.
“They can open the government any time they want. They can use the nuclear option in the Senate. They can reopen the government. This is a bunch of drama and political theater, so I’m willing to call that out, too,” Greene concluded.
Originally published on Latin Times
