Republican infighting could prevent Boehner from retiring

As John Boehner prepares to make his exit at the end of the month, Republican infighting could once again trip him up. The Hill reports that the House speaker, who is poised to retire Oct. 30, told his friend Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) just last week: "I had this terrible nightmare last night that I was trying to get out and I couldn't get out."

Based on doubts that Republicans can get the requisite 218 votes to elect party favorite Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker — and the rule that a speaker's resignation cannot take effect until there is a new speaker — it's looking like Boehner's worst nightmare could very well become a reality.

McCarthy's status as favorite was called into question after he implied last week on Fox News that the Benghazi committee was created to take down Hillary Clinton. And at least one of his two competitors, Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) — the other contender is Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) — is seizing on these doubts. "Nobody has disagreed that the current majority leader is short of 218," Chaffetz told reporters. "It's just the reality."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

If McCarthy doesn't win 218 votes in the formal floor vote, there will be additional rounds of voting. If those rounds don't produce a GOP candidate for speaker that has 218 votes, Boehner will not, in fact, be able to get out.