Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) released the following statement regarding his vote in favor of tabling a motion to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson:

“I have been one of the most outspoken members in Congress regarding my vehement disagreements with House leadership on policy, procedure, and tactics — and I stand by my comments. But while I may disagree with our leadership, I just as strongly believe that a motion to vacate at this moment in time will not serve to help save our country.

From our border crisis, to DC’s addiction to spending, to the geopolitical challenges facing our nation, we need courageous leadership willing to act with moral clarity in addressing these challenges. 

Our current leadership has fallen short of confronting those issues — but creating upheaval at this moment would do nothing to solve those problems, and in fact would create a vacuum that would likely make them worse. That’s why I voted to table this motion.

For my colleagues that say they agree our country is headed in the wrong direction, I would invite them to join House conservatives in pushing to use Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse and spending authority to implement real policy change. Perhaps some of them may even join us next January in holding the line for critical institution changes if, Lord willing, the people give us the House majority again in November.”

By a vote of 359-43, the House voted to table the motion on Wednesday, May 8. The motion was brought as privileged, meaning it had a maximum of three legislative days to be considered — but House leadership chose to immediately bring up the motion for full consideration.

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