Boehner re-elected US House Speaker, survives conservative challenge
John Boehner narrowly elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the US House of Representatives despite strong challenge from right wing conservatives
John Boehner narrowly won a third term as House of Representatives Speaker on Tuesday, surviving a stiff challenge from 25 conservative Republicans that may signal a growing split in the party as it takes full control of Congress.
Boehner received 216 of 408 votes cast in a tense vote, with a growing faction of dissident House Republicans opposing him because they said he had done too little to cut spending and fight President Barack Obama’s immigration and healthcare policies.
The last time that more than 25 House members voted against a Speaker candidate from their own party came in 1859, according to congressional historians.
“As Speaker all I ask and frankly expect is that we disagree without being disagreeable.”
A senior Republican aide said that Representatives Richard Nugent and Daniel Webster, both of Florida and both of whom voted against Boehner, were later stripped of their assignments on the powerful House Rules Committee.
The number of Republican defectors was more than twice the dozen who withheld their support from him in an election two years ago, evidence of the stark party divisions that could make it hard to pass legislation, including bills to keep government agencies operating without interruption.
One of the defectors, Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina, said he was deluged by calls from people urging Boehner’s ouster. Jones, like others, complained of Boehner’s handling of a massive government spending bill in December.
“We didn’t get 72 hours to read it, it was 1,600 pages and spent US$1.1 trillion,” Jones said.