House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will host a fundraising benefit on Wednesday afternoon to help support Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), with the GOP leader aiming to raise more than $50,000, a source familiar with the event confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
The benefit comes just weeks after Greene was ousted from the House Freedom Caucus, largely due to her strengthening alignment with GOP leadership. The move raised eyebrows among current members, as the caucus seeks to position itself further to the Right than most members of the party.
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Greene confirmed the benefit is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, telling reporters the event has been planned “for a while” — suggesting it was in the works long before her removal. The Georgia Republican stopped short of giving further details.
The benefit comes after Freedom Caucus members voted to boot Greene from the group, marking a first-of-its-kind removal from the GOP’s most conservative flank. Several members have confirmed her ouster, although Greene said she has not heard from caucus leaders about her current status.
Members say caucus leader Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) attempted to call the congresswoman throughout the July recess to speak with her related to the vote. However, Greene did not answer or return any of his calls, according to Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO).
“The chairman has tried to contact her and let her know, and there haven’t been any returned calls,” Buck told CNN earlier this week. “This week, she will undoubtedly get notified.”
Greene told reporters on Wednesday she has not talked with Perry, but declined to say whether the chairman had contacted her.
“I have not talked with him. I’ve been very busy working here,” she said. “I’m not interested in talking about any of that, I’m interested in getting $300 million out of the NDAA.”
McCarthy has expressed support for Greene after reports of her removal, telling reporters on Tuesday he thinks her removal is “a loss for the Freedom Caucus.”
Members reportedly began talks of removing Greene from the caucus earlier this year after she began staunchly defending GOP leadership decisions, particularly those made by McCarthy.
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However, tensions with Greene came into full view last month when she collided with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on the House floor, calling the Colorado Republican a “little b****.” Boebert serves as the communications chairwoman of the Freedom Caucus.
It's unknown how many members belong to the caucus because it does not publicly disclose its membership. However, it's estimated they make up about one-fifth of the full GOP caucus based on voting record analyses and those who have identified themselves as being part of the group.