How John Boehner survived the shutdown and saved his job
Might as well dub him Speaker Harry Houdini


Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) led his party into a fight it could not win, and then, with the GOP's poll numbers imploding, cut a last-minute deal that won Republicans none of what they wanted.
His reward for presiding over the mess? He may get to keep his job after all.
As the shutdown lumbered on, conventional wisdom held that Boehner had two mutually exclusive options. He could:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
1) Cut a deal with Democrats, losing most of his caucus in the process and triggering a revolt that would oust him from his leadership post.
2) Hold out indefinitely to appease the right, Democrats and economy be damned.
However, while conservatives broke with Boehner on the final vote, they lauded him for sticking with them until the bitter end. The speaker, bullied for much of the year by Tea Party conservatives, may have actually emerged from the mess with a firmer grip on power.
On Wednesday, Boehner told his caucus he would be bringing the Senate compromise up for a vote, saying they had "fought the good fight" but lost. He was greeted with a standing ovation, according to National Review's Jonathan Strong.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"He hung in there with us," Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), one of 144 nay votes on the final bill, told Strong. "He's been reluctant to go to these fights and now that we have stood up and fought for our values and he's been there with us, leading, I think his stock has risen tremendously."
Indeed, rather than accusing Boehner for joining the "surrender caucus," irate House members instead focused their anger on moderate Republicans who publicly and privately cast skepticism on what is widely believed to have been a baffling, deeply flawed strategy to defund ObamaCare. It was those members, they said, who gave Democrats their leverage and forced Boehner's hand.
Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) a member of the Tea Party Caucus, said Boehner had done all he could, but that a "whiner caucus" cost the GOP a potential win.
"It's pretty hard when he has a circle of 20 people that step up every day and say, 'Can we surrender today, Mr. Speaker? Can we just go away? Can we make it easy?'" he told National Review.
At a Wednesday lunch sponsored by the Heritage Foundation — whose Heritage Action affiliate urged lawmakers to vote against the final deal — conservative lawmakers echoed the same sentiment.
"I've actually been really proud of Speaker Boehner the last two and half weeks," Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) told the New York Times, adding, "If anybody should be kicked out, it's probably those Republicans — and not Speaker Boehner."
Notably, Labrador was one of 12 Republicans who did not vote for Boehner's second term as speaker back in January. By pushing the nation to the brink of default, though, Boehner may have finally won him over.
Or maybe he finally confirmed what many have suspected all along — that he'll carry the Tea Party's water so long as they let him remain speaker.
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published