Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Boehner’s Tenure In Review

The regular guy from Ohio is leaving Congress. Republican John Boehner announced on September 25 that he would be resigning from his position as Speaker of the House. Although some in his own party have been calling for a new Speaker since as early as 2013, Boehner’s announcement still caught the press and many politicians by surprise. His resignation comes at the start of his third term since he started as Speaker in 2011.

Boehner’s initial election as Speaker was a real moment of accomplishment for a man who came from extremely modest circumstances, as one of twelve children growing up in a two-bedroom home. Even before winning the Speakership, Boehner was quite active as a member of the House of Representatives. Along with helping to craft the “Contract with America” in 1994, Boehner was one of four coauthors of the controversial— but bipartisan— No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Boehner continued to build his reputation as a star of the Republican Party by becoming the Republican Leader of the House in 2006. When, in 2010, the Republicans gained a majority as a result of the increased popularity of the Tea Party movement, Boehner was elected unanimously by his party to serve as Speaker of the House.

Ironically, the Tea Party movement, which helped complete his rise to the top of the Republican Party, also played a significant role in ensuring that Boehner will not leave much of a legacy behind as he departs from office. He often had to fight with the more extreme factions of the GOP just to maintain the status quo. Those who recall Boehner’s time as Speaker are likely to remember the government shutdown of 2013, the most infamous instance of Boehner’s inability to unify his party around a strong strategy. With the Republicans and Democrats unable to come to an agreement over the government budget and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the House Republicans stubbornly allowed the government to shut down before capitulating to President Obama’s demands 16 days later. Although his primary goal may have been to reach a pragmatic compromise, Boehner was crippled by his inability to control the far right members of his own party and the fear that compromising with the Democrats would alienate too many within his own party and cause him to lose his job.

In this instance, as with many others during his multiple terms, Boehner was unable to impose party discipline as effectively as Denny Hastert, his Republican predecessor. Hastert was often seen as an uninvolved Speaker earlier during his career because of numerous ethical charges brought against prominent Republican House members (and later himself). However, his ability to control the members of the GOP through whatever means necessary was never questioned. Hastert and other successful Speakers like Nancy Pelosi had the skills and ability to ensure discipline and unity among their respective parties that Boehner did not possess. Admittedly, Boehner dealt with a different set of challenges than either of them, as he presided over a unique period in the Republican Party where Tea Party extremists dominated much of the GOP’s rhetoric and were often unwilling to accede to even the smallest of compromises with the Obama administration. A more proficient Speaker, however, may have been able to cope with some of Boehner’s challenges in a more effective way.

Boehner’s departure from office marks the end of a tenure that did not see much legislative progress, but it could also signal a change in the way the Republican Party operates. Boehner is often celebrated as a politician who is capable of compromise, civility, and pragmatism, all positive traits that accomplished very little for him during his time as Speaker. In an era when politicians like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul—whose filibusters and empty bluster earn more political capital than Boehner’s careful negotiation— have taken center stage, it is worth asking whether or not the Republican Party is headed in a new and unfamiliar direction. Could it be, as Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid tweeted after learning of Boehner’s resignation, that “the party of Eisenhower and Reagan is no more?” The Republicans head towards an uncertain future, having ousted a reputable politician from the Speakership. They know that the next Speaker must either do what Boehner could not and unite a party in disarray around a more moderate agenda, or else acquiesce to the extremist forces that threaten to tear them apart.