Representative John Boehner of Ohio has announced today he will resign as Speaker of the House at the end of October. This is a huge decision with effects that will ripple out and affect everything from the upcoming election to the government shutdown and beyond.
Let's look at the causes of the announcement. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, as Boehner was pretty sick and tired of the job. In early 2014, he gave an interview with Jay Leno, his voice dripping with resentment for the "jackasses" he dealt with on a daily basis. Boehner also explained that he understood the futility of the government shutdown, but felt like his duty as Speaker compelled him to join. He fought with Democrats constantly, but some of his biggest, toughest battles were against his fellow Republicans, making enemies and alienating his own party. Boehner frequently violated the "Hastert Rule" in order to pass necessary legislation - such as when he saved Congress from the fiscal cliff in January 2013, when he helped pass Hurricane Sandy relief, and when he reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act - which pissed off House Republicans. Boehner had to fight through multiple coup attempts, a shutdown that lasted more than two weeks, and so on. High profile Republicans like presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were consistent critics of party leadership. Conservatives erupted in applause after learning the news of Boehner's announcement. Trying to stay moderate and compromise with the left has proven to be a exhausting struggle for the Speaker.
However, this is shocking as well for several reasons. With only weeks in between the announcement and his resignation, Boehner will give up his position in very rapid order. "A US legislative leader normally either steps down following an electoral defeat or else announces it well in advance and calmly leads the troops through on last election campaign. Boehner is dropping the mic in an unexpected and chaotic way, with hard-to-predict consequences for the future of his party and the legislative agenda" (Yglesias - Vox). It is also shocking because there's a inevitable upcoming fight over the funding of Planned Parenthood that may lead to another government shutdown, and Boehner is resigning right in that time frame.
What made Boehner so unpopular among Republicans? Conservatives argued that he "was a sellout, a weakling, unwilling to stand up to the Obama administration and force real spending cuts," but in reality, "Boehner actually did more to reduce the size of the federal government than any other politician in recent memory" (Matthews - Vox). Boehner helped enact a $3.2 trillion spending reduction from several cuts over the course of his terms. He's one of the most successful Republican Speakers of recent time. But many conservatives have seen him as too cautious in his approach to force the Obama Administration to make policy concessions. The end result of this lack of support from the far right has been that "Boehner's speakership was unusually divided between his duties as speaker of the House, a figure who's supposed to keep American governance on a prudent course, and his role as leader of the Republican Party" (Yglesias - Vox). Similar to any representative with their split responsibilities (representing their constituents and governing the country), Boehner had to answer to more than just the Republican Party. He had to appeal to the conservative right while also negotiating and managing the Democrats. In this era of extreme political partisanship, Boehner had to pick who he wanted to keep satisfied. Early in his tenure, Boehner often fought decisively against the liberal left for extreme tax cuts, but as Republicans threatened shutdowns and falling over the budget cliff, he caved in order to ensure that Congress could continue functioning properly.
What's next? Boehner still figures to be a key figure in the fight over funding Planned Parenthood, with the current Speaker taking a moderate stance once again. There are reports that it is probable that current House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy would be the next speaker of the House. If the Republicans end up going with an extremist conservative, they will struggle and bipartisanship will be non-existent, even concerning minor issues. The GOP is better off selecting a moderate who is willing to negotiate with the other side and keep the government functional, but can pick their battles and fight hard to make sure the Republican-dominated Congress pushes policy through and improves their standing with the American public. If the GOP can introduce new policy and break through some of this deadlock, it will really help them in the polls across the boards.
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/25/9397511/john-boehner-jay-leno/in/9161376
http://www.rollcall.com/news/rubio_cruz_call_for_new_leadership_direction_as_boehner_quits-243840-1.html
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/25/9397467/john-boehner-resign-reason/in/9161376
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastert_Rule
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/25/9397269/john-boehner-planned-parenthood/in/9161376
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/us/john-boehner-to-resign-from-congress.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=span-ab-top-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/25/9397803/john-boehner-spending-cuts
http://www.rollcall.com/news/boehner_quits_mccarthy_seen_as_successor-243839-1.html?pos=hfph
2 comments:
Boehner's choice to step down from his post as Speaker is fascinating, especially when considering the timing of his resignation. I wrote a post about the House Freedom Caucus' anti-Boehner sentiments just a few days before his announcement, and I was wondering if pressure from the right would be enough to have him voted out of the position—and then he decided to make the decision to leave on his own terms, to 'protect the institution.' Your point, Matt, about Boehner's clashes with his own party are very important when considering who will replace him as speaker: if Congress is already seen as unproductive with a Speaker who tends to do a fair share of compromising with Democrats (as you pointed out with his frequent violation of the Hastert Rule), then imagine how little will get done if an even more partisan Republican takes over! It would certainly be in the best interest of the GOP and of the House as a whole to select a moderate Republican as the new Speaker, as this would promote less gridlock between the two parties. Perhaps Kevin McCarthy will rise into this position and then the GOP can quell its more conservative factions by electing a Tea Party / HFC member to replace McCarthy as Majority Leader?
I think the last part of your post about who will replace Boehner is a very interesting question. To me it seems like a double edged sword. If Republicans appoint another moderate member who will likely work across party lines, the Tea Party members will only become more frustrated. Yet, if a more conservative member were to be appointed, it seems unlikely that there will be any bi-partisan work being done in Congress. In either scenario, the American people are the ones losing. Jeffrey brought up an interesting point in his comment. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy seems to be the popular candidate for the new position of Speaker of the House. McCarthy certainly isn't the conservative that Tea Party members would want appointed to the position. But maybe the party could compromise by appointing a conservative member to the Majority Leader if McCarthy is appointed. Democrats in the House likely won't be thrilled if this the scenario that plays out. However, it might be in the best interest of the American people and congress as an institution. If conservatives in the House were able to have a voice in the party leadership the party as a whole might be able to better compromise and move to a more moderate position on the right wing. And in the long run, uniting the factions with in the republican party might be exactly what is needed for some bi-partisan compromise.
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