John Boehner announced Friday that he’ll be stepping down as the speaker of the US House of Representatives.
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Even as Boehner’s colleagues were still absorbing the news, the speculation over who would succeed him had already begun.
McCarthy’s name isn’t the only one being thrown in the ring to fill Boehner’s role; Florida’s Daniel Webster and House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling have both announced some level of interest in running.
Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., said he and other conservatives would support “anybody who is willing to work to re-establish Congress as a co-equal branch of government”. But that’s up to the next members.
Blunt said there are a number of good choices to take over as Speaker, but he’s not endorsing anyone.
“The American people are disappointed”, Christie said on Fox.
“The eternal optimist. There’s nothing you can say that can get him down”, said McCarthy. “They just want their way or the highway”, said Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
Later, he issued a statement that said now is the time for House Republicans “to focus on healing and unifying to face the challenges ahead”. His decision came days before the potential shutdown and as Congress was wrestling with funding plans, as well as amid heightened tension among Republicans in Congress as a far-right constituency continues to push back against the more moderate factions that Boehner represents. Hopefully there will be congressional hearings and a formal investigation into the issues raised by those truly very bad and disturbing videos, of which I’ve unfortunately watched way too much to ever forget.
Boehner’s exit also creates an opening for the more conservative wing of the House caucus.
But Boehner’s announcement only puts off that fight and others, and promises a chaotic leadership struggle that may result in new leaders facing the same fundamental problem: a core group of 30 or so conservative lawmakers repulsed by compromise and commanding enough votes to stymie leadership plans, despite the GOP’s large majority.
Many of these members on the right of the House GOP conference used their threat to topple Boehner as leverage against passing a continuing resolution that didn’t defund Planned Parenthood.
“Don’t tell us that we’re not going to shut down the government”, Levin said.
“Today the establishment lost”, Huelskamp tweeted.
“He read the writing on the wall”, Huelskamp said. We need a few more carpenters around here.
In January, Herrera Beutler voted in favor of re-electing Boehner, R-Ohio, to his post as speaker.
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California Republican Nancy Pelosi, current House Minority Leader and Boehner’s predecessor when her party held the majority, compared the Speaker’s resignation to a major natural disaster. Several members of the House Freedom Caucus have pointed to Labrador as a possible candidate for Speaker or Majority Leader. He became speaker when the first wave of popular anger at the policies of President Barack Obama restored Republican control of the House in 2010.
