Marjorie Taylor Greene’s GOP criticism fuels speculation about her future
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Why Jason Esteves is eyeing a ballot measure.
- Another federal food assistance program is on the brink.
- Donald Trump calls for an end to the filibuster.
Rogue signs
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene again broke with her party, this time going rogue on Bill Maher’s HBO show to blast Republican leadership for failing to propose a health coverage alternative to the Affordable Care Act.
“Mike Johnson, for a month now, cannot give me a single policy idea,” Greene said of the U.S. House speaker. “And I’m angry about that.”
Her latest round of appearances, including a scheduled stop on “The View” on Tuesday, has revived speculation that she’s positioning herself for a bigger political stage.
Greene has unequivocally ruled out bids for governor or the U.S. Senate, and some people close to her insist she won’t reverse course.
But local GOP activists say the buzz is growing anyway, fueled by her increasingly sharp attacks on fellow Republicans even as she declares her loyalty to President Donald Trump.
And Greene has enough of a maverick streak to believe a change of heart is at least possible.
In recent weeks, Greene has criticized GOP leaders over the ongoing government shutdown and pushed for the release of documents tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.
Greene aimed her fire at Georgia’s Republican ranks, saying she’s unimpressed with early contenders for the state’s highest offices.
She’s also highlighted rising health care premiums, an issue now coming to a head in Georgia. Open enrollment on Georgia Access, the state’s marketplace for ACA health insurance plans, began Saturday and early previews indicated many could see higher price tags.
Greene didn’t respond to requests for comment. But her frustration was on full display on Maher’s show:
“Here’s why I’m angry: the Democrats passed Obamacare. But yet, the Republicans have never done anything to correct the problems that exist with it,” Greene said. “I blame my own party. That’s absolutely wrong.”
Things to know
Good morning! It’s day 34 of the federal government shutdown. We’re just one day away from the elections for Public Service Commission and a host of local governments across the state.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- The new AJC poll shows likely voters from both parties in Georgia would rather cut property tax rates than eliminate the state income tax, David Wickert reports.
- The race for two seats on the Public Service Commission is a referendum on power bills, the AJC’s Kristi E. Swartz and Drew Kann report.
- An online fundraiser for Georgia State Election Board Vice Chair Janice Johnston has raised more than $30,000 for her legal defense in a lawsuit that alleges she blocked access to public records, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
Ballot watch
Jason Esteves won’t be on the ballot for governor until the May 19 primary next year. But voters in Atlanta could still give his campaign a boost on Tuesday.
A property tax exemption for people 65 and older is on the ballot in Atlanta. If approved, it would save older residents up to $1,000 on their Atlanta Public Schools property taxes.
Esteves, who was a Democratic state senator until he resigned to focus on his gubernatorial campaign, sponsored the law that put the exemption on the ballot. His campaign has used it as an example of how he would “lower costs for hardworking Georgians.”
The vote comes after Atlanta Public Schools opted out of a statewide property tax exemption because board members were concerned it would cost them too much revenue. The tax exemption that Esteves sponsored is capped at $487.8 million. WABE reports that would limit the schools’ revenue loss to about $10 million per year.
Another crisis
The fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program remains uncertain after two federal judges on Friday ordered the Trump administration to keep paying for benefits. But that’s not the only federal food assistance program in peril.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — better known as WIC — is also on its last legs. The Georgia Department of Public Health says the program has enough money to last through mid-November. After that, benefits could stop if the government is still shut down.
While WIC and SNAP both help people buy food, the programs have different aims. SNAP targets people facing financial hardship and covers a wide range of food. WIC is specifically for pregnant women, new mothers and children up to age 5, and it can only be used on specific nutritious foods.
While the SNAP program is much larger, Georgia’s WIC program is no slouch. It’s the fifth-largest in the country, according to the Georgia Department of Health. State officials say WIC participants should continue to attend appointments and use their benefits “until otherwise directed.”
Early voting
Just under 9% of registered voters cast ballots for tomorrow’s statewide Public Service Commission races during the early voting period that ended Friday.
Black voters made up 33% of the total votes cast. That’s a good sign for Democrats, who historically have needed Black voters to make up at least 30% of the electorate in order to win statewide elections.
Another good sign for Democrats: Republican incumbent Tim Echols posted an analysis that found about 47% of early voters have a recent Democratic primary vote history, while 36% have a recent GOP voting background. He figures Republicans are about 80,000 votes down.
Women made up 58.2% of the early votes. The biggest age group (by far) was as 65-69, accounting for just over 14% of ballots cast.
Still, a lot could change tomorrow when the polls open at 7 a.m. for Election Day in-person voting.
The Top 10 counties by voter turnout so far:
- Clinch: 24.2%
- Stewart: 17.58%
- Fayette: 16.14%
- Fulton: 14.80%
- Upson: 14.75%
- Decatur:13.99%
- Wilkes: 13.84%
- Union: 13.54%
- Butts: 13.52%
- Rabun: 12.7%
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, we answer listener questions about the federal government shutdown, how health care subsidies became a flashpoint in Washington, and why some Georgia Republicans and Democrats are finding common ground. Then, we’re reporting on Sandy Springs’ four-way mayoral race, one of the most competitive local contests in the state.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Shutdown record
It’s day 34 of the federal government shutdown, one day away from tying the record for the longest stoppage set during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Tomorrow’s off-year elections in several states, including Georgia, might provide a convenient excuse for both sides to negotiate an end to the shutdown. But it’s unlikely a resolution could happen quickly enough to avoid breaking the record.
With Senate Democrats continuing to use the filibuster to block the GOP-backed spending bill, Speaker Mike Johnson has again canceled House votes for the week.
The unscheduled recess means Georgia’s Republican-dominated delegation has been mostly absent from conversations about the effects the monthlong shutdown has had on voters in their districts.
Tia Mitchell asked Georgia’s House delegation for their thoughts, and her reporting revealed some division among Republicans about whether Congress should approve standalone legislation to pay essential workers and fund nutrition programs during the shutdown.
Going nuclear
President Donald Trump has joined Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in calling for Senate Republicans to get rid of the filibuster to reopen the government.
Greene for weeks has said she believes Republicans should change the rule requiring 60 votes to advance legislation. Without that rule, it would take only 51 votes for the Senate to approve a House-passed funding bill to end the government shutdown. Republicans control 53 of the 100 seats.
Trump said the same thing in a social media post and during an interview Sunday on "60 Minutes."
“I think we should do the nuclear option,” Trump said. “This is a totally different nuclear, by the way. It’s called ending the filibuster.”
Senate Republicans tend to give Trump what he wants, but they showed no interest in ending the filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a longtime defender of the 60-vote rule that requires bipartisan support for most legislation, said getting rid of it would be a “bad idea.”
A spokesman for Thune told the Associated Press that his “position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged.”
Today in Washington
Happenings:
- President Donald Trump will participate in telephone rallies for Republican candidates in Virginia and New Jersey.
- The House is in an indefinite recess during the shutdown.
- The Senate returns for evening votes on Trump nominations.
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., will visit a grocery store in Atlanta where many customers participate in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Shoutouts
Belated birthdays:
- State Rep. Rhonda Burnough, D-Riverdale (was Sunday).
- Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols (was Saturday).
- State Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta (was Sunday).
- Gov. Brian Kemp (was Sunday).
- State Rep. Gabe Okoye, D-Lawrenceville (was Sunday).
- State Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson (was Saturday)
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
Zack Polanski, the charismatic Green Party leader in Britain being compared to New York’s Zohran Mamdani, told The Washington Post that his views on social justice issues were sharpened by a formative period attending drama school in Athens, Georgia, in the early 2000s. “Of all the places I’ve lived, in Georgia I just had this incredible sense of community,” he said.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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