With Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announcing Friday that he will resign on October 30, let’s take a look back at Boehner’s career in eight videos.
Pope Francis
For decades, Boehner had been trying to get a pope to address Congress. With Pope Francis, he finally succeeded. Boehner is known for crying at the drop of a hat, and the pope’s visit was no exception. “Everyone knows it doesn’t take an act of God [to make me emotional],” Boehner joked on Twitter.
Prime Minister Netanyahu
In another important address to Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the body in March. Netanyahu spoke out against the Iran nuclear deal, still in the negotiation at the time. During his trip, President Obama controversially decided not to meet with Netanyahu. It was not Netanyahu’s first address during Boehner’s time as speaker. A couple weeks later, Netanyahu’s Likud party would win a decisive election victory in Israel.
Sense of Humor
Boehner enjoyed joking around with reporters during press conferences. In February, he made kissy faces during a press conference over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Boehner’s name, correctly pronounced Bay-ner, was also a source of humor. After one reporter accidentally called him “Mr. Camp,” Boehner jokingly corrected him: “It’s Boner. Boner.”
2013 Government Shutdown
“This isn’t some damn game,” Boehner said during the government shutdown in 2013. “The American people don’t want their government shutdown and neither do I.” Boehner was rebuking Obama for saying he doesn’t care how long the shutdown goes on “because we’re winning.”
Assuming the Speakership
After the Tea Party wave election of 2010, Republicans gained 63 seats in the House of Representatives. The victory gave Republicans control of the House and then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was forced to relinquish the speaker’s gavel.
Obamacare
In an emotional speech before the final vote for the Affordable Care Act, Boehner attacked congressional Democrats for being careless in their deliberations for the bill. “Look at how this bill was written. Can you say it was done openly? … Hell no you can’t!” Boehner said. “Have you read the bill? … Hell no you haven’t!”
No Child Left Behind
Although the education law is unpopular today, it was a big victory for Boehner in 2002. At the time, Boehner was serving as chairman of the House education committee. President George W. Bush travelled to Boehner’s district to sign the bill. While being introduced by Secretary of Education Rod Paige, Boehner received a 23-second spontaneous standing ovation after Paige called Boehner “a great American.”
