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John Boehner, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, announced during a Friday meeting with other Republicans that he would be resigning from Congress at the end of October. His departure comes during the middle of a heated battle over an attempt by conservatives to defund Planned Parenthood that threatens to shut down the federal government.
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Some more right-wing members of the GOP caucus have long had problems with Boehner, who they see as too willing to placate the Democrats. The Ohio-born politician came to power during the rise of the Tea Party in 2010, but his inability to get along with the angrier, anti-compromise elements in the GOP is emblematic of a larger rift within the party. In the past weeks, some Republicans have threatened to unseat him as Speaker, leading some observers to speculate that he could have asked the Democrats to help him retain power if his own party attempted to replace him.
But instead, a day after the Pope addressed Congress—an event which the New York Times called “the fulfillment of a 20-year dream for Mr. Boehner”—the Speaker announced he would simply be quitting.
Now that he doesn’t have to worry about internal Republican politics, Boehner will most likely get together the votes needed to avoid a government shutdown while funding Planned Parenthood. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will probably replace him.
On Thursday evening, Boehner told reporters from POLITCO and the Washington Post that there was nothing left for him to accomplish after the Pontiff’s visit.
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