On Setpember 25, in a surpise announcement, John Boehner made public his intention to resign from his position as Speaker of the House. His resignation, combined with the fast approaching presidential elections, has provoked discussions among politicians and in the media.
In almost five years as Speaker of the House, Boehner was shown a lack of support from other House Republicans because of his inability to prevent the advancement of the “liberal agenda.” About forty or fifty of the current 247 House Republicans openly do not support Boehner, since they think the country should have become more conservative after Republicans became the majority in the House in 2010 (and especially in 2014, after Republicans gained control of the Senate, as well). Obamacare and the ensuing government shutdown further entrenched Boehner’s unpopularity among many House Republicans. While Boehner combats these views with the fact that the current president is a Democrat and the government has a powerful system of checks and balances, many Republicans continue to believe that he is not the best person to have as Speaker of the House. Very recently, Boehner has been under fire for an impending government shutdown based on the planned parenthood decision. His struggle represents the ongoing battle between fighting for small changes and the pursuit of Republican ideals.
While Boehner has been shown a significant lack of support in the House, he stated that his decision to resign did not have anything to do with the vote. He also mentioned that he had been planning his resignation for a long period of time and his decision was not due solely to recent events. He wanted to restore some calm among the members of the House before the election this November. Boehner insists that the institution and the country are the things that are most important to him, and his decision was made on the basis of what he feels is best. Boehner brought up the Pope and his recent visit in his resignation speech, and he mentioned that his interaction with the Pope made him very emotional, as he is a very religious man.
Rubio, one of the Republican presidential candidates, commented that he felt it was time for Boehner to turn the page. Rubio’s comment captured a widespread feeling among Republicans, and Boehner’s resignation is certainly the beginning of a new chapter for the Republican Party. In addition, President Obama said that although he is at the opposite end of the political spectrum, he feels Boehner is a good man. The President praised Boehner for his patriotism and civility; however, he made it clear that he did not want a government shutdown.
The influence of the Republican party relies on the results of this year’s elections. If a Republican were to become president, the party would undoubtedly gain more influence. As for the position of Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, who is the current House majority leader, is most likely to succeed Boehner. McCarthy stated that he gives Boehner’s time as Speaker of the House a grade of B minus. As a decidedly more amiable and well-liked Republican than Boehner, McCarthy may actually calm things down in the House and help advance both the popularity and the agenda of the Republican party. At this point in time, however, it is still too early to tell. Boehner will continue to work as Speaker of the House until the end of October, and during the window of time between now and then any number of things could happen within or outside the party.
Overall, Boehner’s resignation was an interesting yet not entirely unexpected move. While this means change for the Republican party, it remains unclear whether or not the change will be for better or for worse.
