Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Johnson standoff continues with ouster vote looming – live

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Talks could end impasse over vote for Johnson's removal

A lunchtime summit Tuesday could finally offer clarity on whether Marjorie Taylor Greene still intends to press ahead with her drive to oust speaker Mike Johnson, or accept a face-saving alternative that would give the impression of a win.

The extremist Georgia congresswoman is scheduled to meet Johnson for a second successive day to discuss her promise to call a motion to vacate, the procedure that could lead to a vote for his removal, over his collusion with Democrats to pass US funding for Ukraine.

Politico reported this morning that Monday’s talks, also attended by Greene’s new ally, the Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie, were cordial, if not entirely fruitful. The outlet said Johnson told reporters afterwards that they had made a promise to “keep this team together”.

Thomas Massie. Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

But it’s not platitudes Green is seeking, it’s concessions. Politico listed four demands of the Greene-Massie alliance, most prominently a pledge from Johnson there will be no more US aid for Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion.

They also want implementation of the so-called Hastert rule (named for former speaker Dennis Hastert), in which legislation is only brought for a floor vote if a majority of Republicans support it; defunding of special counsel investigations into former president Donald Trump; and adoption of the “Massie rule” that automatically cuts government funding when no agreement is reached by a certain deadline.

With substantial Ukraine funding already passed, and likely to last until beyond November’s election, that demand might not be the hurdle it seems. And Johnson will be keen to avoid the embarrassment of having to rely on Democratic support in any vote to remove him.

He certainly has nothing to lose by extending the talks today, and several political analysts see the frozen Greene-Johnson relationship beginning to thaw.

We’ll be watching for developments.

Standoff between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Johnson continues with ouster vote looming

Good morning, US politics blog readers.

The never ending story, also known as the Republican speaker saga, continues today with a scheduled next round of talks between firebrand extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Johnson, the leader she has promised to unseat.

The pair met for several hours on Monday, with some observers suggesting the Georgia congresswoman is looking for an off-ramp, knowing that Democrats have already promised to keep Johnson in place in any House vote to oust him.

But it’s not an olive branch that Greene, and her new close ally Thomas Massie of Kentucky, are seeking. They want a block on further US funding for Ukraine, which caused her outrage in the first place, and a host of other political concessions we’ll look at in the blog shortly.

As things stand, Greene, Johnson and probably Massie are set to converse again at lunchtime. Whether Greene can be talked out of pressing ahead with a potentially embarrassing “motion to vacate”, the vote that could see Johnson booted, remains to be seen.

Here’s what else we’re watching today:

• Texas Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar is fighting for his political life days after he and his wife were indicted for bribery, fraud and money laundering over their links to Azerbaijan. Democratic leadership issued a lukewarm message of support, and Cuellar’s chief of staff Jake Hochberg quit Monday, with other staff said to be planning to join him.

• Speaker Johnson has a busy day, aside from his meeting with Greene and Massie. He’ll be hosting a press conference with Republican leadership this morning, and meeting King Abdullah of Jordan in Washington DC this afternoon.

• Joe Biden will deliver remarks at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Days of Remembrance ceremony this morning; and meet Romanian president Klaus Iohannis at the White House this afternoon.

• White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s daily media briefing is scheduled for 2pm ET.