John Boehner dropped a political bombshell this morning, announcing that he's not only resigning as House speaker but as a congressman as well. Boehner will leave at the end of October, reports the New York Times. Boehner himself told House Republicans in a closed-door session today, reports Politico. The surprise move comes as Boehner faces another revolt from conservative House members about a potential government shutdown, this time over Planned Parenthood funding.
"The Speaker believes putting members through prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution," an aide tells the Hill. "Speaker Boehner believes that the first job of any Speaker is to protect this institution and, as we saw yesterday with the Holy Father, it is the one thing that unites and inspires us all." (Boehner was seen crying during the pope's address, though he tends to cry a lot.) The same aide says Boehner, 65, actually intended to quit last year and stuck around only because of Eric Cantor's stunning election defeat. (More John Boehner stories.)
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