Republicans Should Have Sidelined Marjorie Taylor Greene

The House of Representatives voted yesterday to remove Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial and inflammatory Republican freshman, from her committee assignments. The vote was largely along party lines, although a handful of Republicans joined the Democratic majority. It’s an extreme measure, advocates of the move admit — but Taylor Greene, they insist, is an extreme case.

Indeed she is, and this remedy is justified. But it would have been far better administered by her own party. If Democrats take it upon themselves to punish outrageous Republicans, and vice versa when Republicans are in a position to return the favor, Congress will take yet another step toward institutional breakdown. It’s already hard for legislators to bridge differences and deliver policies capable of commanding wide support. The last thing the country needs is for this to get any harder.