Speaker of the House John Boehner, who announced on September 25 that he would be resigning his position and also retiring from Congress effective October 30, is making clear that he views the Tea Party segment of the Republican Party as dangerous to the goals of Conservatives.
Boehner made the comments during a September 27 appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation, where he spoke at length about the current political scene with the show’s host John Dickerson.
Asked first by Dickerson about a potential government shutdown due to the failure to pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Boehner said that it wouldn’t happen. He indicated that a continuing resolution would be passed in the Senate, and that he would work with Democrats in the House of Representatives to make sure that the government stays open.
When asked about his pending retirement, Boehner disputed Dickerson’s characterization of his relationship with Republicans in the House as dysfunctional, saying it was more of a disagreement. That relationship was rumored to be fractured enough that those Republicans would forge an effort to remove Boehner as Speaker.
Without actually naming them, Boehner then unleashed criticism on those Republicans who are part of the Tea Party faction. That contingent has been the driving force behind the push to shut down the government unless funding for Planned Parenthood by the government was eliminated.
Saying that the Tea Party was unrealistic in their assessment of what can be accomplished by the government, Boehner invoked a biblical phrase that warned people to be wary of false prophets.
Boehner noted how a previous plan in 2013 to shut down the government in order to force the government to get rid of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) proved to be a failure and ended up saddling Republicans with much of the blame. Recalling how Tea Party-linked Republicans in August and September of that year were eager to push for that shutdown, Boehner described the effort as a “fool’s errand.”
When Dickerson asked if Tea Party Republican Ted Cruz was one of those false prophets, Boehner said that a number of politicians could be selected and stated that such a decision would be up to Dickerson.
After being pressed as to whether he meant Cruz, Boehner noted his remarks in August 2015 during an event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There, Boehner referred to Cruz as a “jackass.”
Boehner did note how he had spent the last quarter-century as a congressman, while praising his staff and fellow congressional colleagues. He had previously noted his accomplishments since taking over the Speaker position in January 2011 from his predecessor Nancy Pelosi.
Citing what he referred to as a deal that would provide a cut of $2.1 trillion for the largest deficit reduction in American history, Boehner also noted how he was able to keep 99 percent of Americans from having their taxes increased, as well as what he said were the first entitlement reforms in two decades.
While no replacement for Boehner as Speaker has been decided, the favorite appears to be Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.