Tag: John Boehner

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Garrett , Boehner feud Spills into Campaign Finance

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Scott Garrett defends handling of funds, won’t say if stance on gays played role

JULY 22, 2015, 11:24 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2015, 11:29 PM
BY HERB JACKSON
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT |
THE RECORD

Rep. Scott Garrett broke a silence he’s maintained for nearly a week and said Wednesday that he is refusing to support the House Republicans’ main campaign fund because of a series of disagreements with the leadership of Speaker John Boehner.

Garrett, however, would not discuss a media report that he told colleagues one of his reasons for the dispute was that the campaign fund had supported gay candidates.

That report led to condemnation from Democrats and gay rights advocates, and criticism from a few Republicans aimed at Garrett, R-Wantage, one of the most conservative members of the House and chairman of a powerful subcommittee that regulates the finance industry.

At issue was campaign money, and whether Garrett, who had more than $2.2 million in his campaign account as of June 30, would be sharing some of what he raises with the party so it could elect Republican candidates. In part because of his subcommittee chairmanship, Garrett has raised nearly $1 million in each of the last two election cycles from people and committees tied to finance, insurance or real estate businesses.

Interviewed as he went from his office in the Rayburn Office Building to the House floor in the Capitol for a vote Wednesday night, Garrett said he had a history of voting against the party line.

Garrett, 56, now in his seventh term, mentioned his opposition to Boehner’s reelection as speaker in January and his opposition to an important rule in June that set up votes on a trade package that was a top priority of President Obama.

“You know how I voted for the speaker. You know how I voted on the rule. You know how I’ve not always supported leadership. You know that I don’t necessarily support all the things they do. So it’s somehow a surprise to you that I don’t necessarily support where they spend their money?” Garrett said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/scott-garrett-defends-handling-of-funds-won-t-say-if-stance-on-gays-played-role-1.1378620

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John Boehner’s Coward Complex

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John Boehner’s Coward Complex
By: Jeffrey Lord | March 6th, 2015

Call him by the right name: House Speaker John Pelosi.

Question?  If John Boehner is going to govern like Nancy Pelosi, why is he the Republican Speaker of the House in the first place?

John Pelosi is the guy who in theory is the leader of the Republican House majority but in fact is regularly engaged in pushing not the GOP agenda but undermining it to pass the Obama agenda. And in his zeal to do this he will spare no effort to attack his own members, most particularly those willing to stand with the conservative principles so well identified today with Ronald Reagan.

“Leadership coming after me.”

Thus said a conservative member of the House in an e-mail to me as the news made the rounds that a former chief of staff to House Speaker John Pelosi (sorry, Boehner) and a former chief of staff to Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus were leading a campaign led by the American Action Network that aired commercials attacking conservatives for opposing amnesty. The names would be Barry Jackson (Boehner) and Mike Shields (Priebus.) Not surprisingly, when the group’s American Action Network Forum was announced in 2010 the New York Times reported that “Republicans who are donors, board members or both include…. Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida.” Former Governor Bush, it appears, has since departed the group as he prepares his run for the GOP presidential nomination.  But not to worry. Time Magazine reported back there in 2010 that “Sharing office space with American Crossroads is the American Action Network (AAN)…” That’s right. That would be Karl Rove’s American Crossroads.

The ad attacking conservative Republicans over the DHS funding was disguised, but of course, as being pro-defense against terrorists as it sought funding for the Department of Homeland Security.  The ads fooled no one. They were a glossy, audio grade-A example of what a sell-out of principle sounds like. Like the bill the group supported, the ad was a cave-in to the Obama executive action on amnesty. Something Republican candidates across the country promised faithfully they would oppose. The commercial was the taped version of what Margaret Thatcher used to call the “socialist ratchet” with conservatives elected to oppose the leftist agenda in reality agreeing with it and working actively to move the country left. The code word for doing this in America is “governing” when in fact what is really meant is “capitulation” – as defined here in “8 RINO Rules.” The effect is to ratchet America further and further left, continually moving away from its founding principles. Just not as fast and but of course better managed.

– See more at: https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2015/03/john-boehner-coward-complex#sthash.XR1bpwq7.dpuf

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John Boehner allies fret coup attempt

House Speaker John Boehner Holds His Weekly Media Briefing

House Speaker John Boehner Holds His Weekly Media Briefing

John Boehner allies fret coup attempt
Conservatives warn the speaker’s fate could be determined by how he handles the next seven days
By John Bresnahan, Anna Palmer and Lauren French
2/28/15 1:46 PM EST

Close allies of Speaker John Boehner are worried that his conservative rivals could move to oust him as soon as next week.

Removing a sitting speaker is exceedingly difficult, and such an effort would almost certainly fall short. Yet growing speculation about the possibility of it – coming after Friday’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of conservatives and House Democrats on the homeland security battle — shows how vulnerable the speaker has become.

Five years into the job, he’s a leader consistently buffeted by forces beyond his control. The legislative calendar guarantees it won’t get any easier: in the coming weeks and months there will be battles over the debt ceiling, budget, taxes, and spending cuts.

The question is how many more of these episodes Boehner can withstand.

Frustration with the Ohio Republican is mounting after dozens of hardliners voted Friday against his three-week funding package for the Department of Homeland Security. Hours of frantic leadership meeting ensued. After some backroom maneuvering with Democrats, Boehner was able to push through a one-week bill to keep DHS open.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/john-boehner-allies-fret-coup-attempt-115616.html#ixzz3T4Hxbf00

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Conservative lawmakers secretly plot to oust John Boehner

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Conservative lawmakers secretly plot to oust John Boehner
By Scott Wong – 09/24/14 06:00 AM EDT

For months, several clusters of conservative lawmakers have been secretly huddling inside and outside the Capitol, plotting to oust John Boehner from the Speaker’s office when House Republicans regroup after the November elections.

The strategy — for now — seems disorganized and fluid: Find a way to push the Speaker’s race to a second ballot, create turmoil in the conference, portray Boehner as highly vulnerable and offer up an alternative.

The behind-the-scenes effort is taking place as Team Boehner is projecting confidence he will coast to a third term as Speaker, pointing to his unrivaled fundraising prowess and ability to corral his rowdy caucus, for example, to keep the government open and provide arms to moderate Syrian rebels.

Boehner is “back on top,” The Wall Street Journal declared.

Yet behind all the chest-thumping, the picture is less rosy for the 64-year-old Ohio Republican.

A number of conservative lawmakers, both in interviews on the record and on background, described enormous frustration with Boehner and his top lieutenants for taking too safe a political route ahead of the 2014 elections.

“In tough times, it doesn’t mean you play timid, it means to play bold, and I don’t see that. And you know what? Time’s up,” Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who vowed to vote against Boehner, told The Hill in an interview. “I’m tired of the status quo of what’s going on in Washington, D.C. America’s tired, America’s angry and they’re scared, because they don’t have leaders in Washington, D.C.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) was more succinct: “I’ll give him every bit as much support as I did last time.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/218725-conservatives-plot-to-oust-the-speaker

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Power Play: John Boehner Announces Abuse of Power Lawsuit Against Obama’s Executive Orders

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Power Play: John Boehner Announces Abuse of Power Lawsuit Against Obama’s Executive Orders

IIn a closed-door meeting with House Republicans today, Speaker John Boehner announced plans to file an abuse of power lawsuit against President Obama. The plaintiff in the lawsuit would be the House of Representatives, not Boehner personally.

Republican House members have been seeking ways to restrain Obama’s use of executive orders, according to Boehner spokesman Michael Steel:

“The president has a clear record of ignoring the American people’s elected representatives and exceeding his constitutional authority, which has dangerous implications for both our system of government and our economy,” Steel said.

“The House has passed legislation to address this, but it has gone nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate, so we are examining other options.”

The President announced in January that “I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone” and he wasn’t afraid to use them.

Since then, his executive actions have been a favored way to pursue policy changes without having to go through that pesky legislative branch. He has made unilateral changes to the ObamaCare law, halted deportations, and issued other orders regarding pay rates for federal contractors and environmental issues.

The lawsuit would need to be approved by a group of House leaders and isexpected to be filed in the next few weeks.

Not surprisingly, Nancy Pelosi decries the suit as “subterfuge” designed to “give some aura of activity.” Of course she does…

https://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/150841-boehner-plans-abuse-power-lawsuit-obama-finally/