Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has intensified her criticism of her own party’s handling of the government shutdown, which has now stretched into its fourth week. Greene, a long-time ally of former President Donald Trump, has distanced herself from Republican leadership, with her outbursts now risking the party’s ability to present a united front during negotiations with Democrats. While some Republicans have voiced concerns about the shutdown, Greene has dominated the discourse, focusing on the Affordable Care Act subsidies and accusing her party of willfully ignoring the issue. Her attacks, however, are increasingly viewed as detrimental to the party’s cohesion and effectiveness in pressuring Democrats to fund the government.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has publicly called on Republicans to disregard Greene’s comments, stating, “Don’t spend much time worrying about [what] Marjorie is saying.” Despite some Republican dissent, Greene remains the most prominent voice in the debate over the shutdown. Her focus on the Affordable Care Act subsidies has been a central point of contention, as Democrats have made this issue a key demand in their negotiations. Greene has accused her party of ignoring the problem, claiming that not a single Republican in leadership has addressed the issue or provided a plan to assist Americans with their health insurance costs. Her frustration has led to increasingly forceful statements, including accusations that Republican leaders are avoiding responsibility for the ongoing shutdown crisis.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has attempted to defuse the tensions by stating that GOP-led conversations on health care are happening in other channels, but his comments have drawn criticism from some party members. Greene has accused Johnson of refusing to share proposed policies with her fellow Republicans, stating that he has ideas but has not provided any concrete plan to the GOP conference. This has led to mounting pressure from within the party, including calls for Greene to present her own health care plan instead of criticizing others. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) has urged Greene to put her own plan forward, emphasizing that while he personally supports her, she should take responsibility for her position by drafting legislation.
Greene’s disputes with her party extend beyond the shutdown. She has previously taken controversial stances on issues such as Israel’s actions in Gaza, where she called the actions a genocide, and has supported a discharge petition to force a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files. These positions have positioned her as an outlier within the Republican Party, and her ongoing criticisms of the party’s handling of the shutdown have further exacerbated her standing as a divisive figure. As the shutdown continues, the pressure on Republicans to present a unified front grows, and Greene’s continued attacks risk deepening the fractures within the party. For now, party members are moving forward, as Senator Cruz noted, with the focus shifting to the need for an end to the shutdown and a return to meaningful negotiations.