Republican House Speaker John Boehner will step down from his post as the country’s number-three elected official and leave Congress effective October 30, an aide told Yahoo News on Friday. The bombshell announcement came a day after Boehner fulfilled his two-decade dream to one day host the Pope at the Capitol.
The Ohio Republican’s decision was sure to touch off a divisive leadership fight among House Republicans even as lawmakers hunt for a way to avoid a looming government shutdown. There was no obvious successor.
“He is proud of what this majority has accomplished, and his Speakership, but for the good of the Republican Conference and the institution, he will resign the Speakership and his seat in Congress, effective October 30,” the aide to Boehner said on condition of anonymity.