U.S. Congress Faces Tough Times With Looming Fiscal Deadlines And Finding A New House Speaker
Ohio Republican John Boehner has decided to step down from his position as the House Speaker of the US Congress last month. Boehner announced his plans to leave the Congress during a Capitol Hill press conference in September.
"I started thinking about this and this morning I woke up and I said my prayers -- as I always do -- and I decided today's the day I'm going to do this. As simple as that," he says, as reported by CNN on Sep. 25.
According to reports, his plans to resign as the House Speaker and to leave the Congress will be effective by the end of the month.
The 64-year-old Republican initially planned to serve only two terms as the House Speaker after he chaired the Congress in 2011. However, Boehner decided to extend after former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor loses re-election in 2014.
Early this month, California Republican congressman Kevin McCarthy has withdrawn the contest to be the new House Speaker shortly before vote.
Meanwhile, a couple of weeks before Boehner's resignation will be effective, the US Congress is faced with big challenges as the House have yet to find a new House Speaker. Aside from that, Republicans are also dealing with looming fiscal deadlines, as forecasted by Voice Of America on Monday.
Further reports have revealed that Boehner might have to delay his retirement if the US Congress cannot identify a successor of the position. Hence, Boehner will have to lead the US Congress amid impending fiscal deadlines.
On the other hand, Wisconsin Republican congressman Paul Ryan tells his co-Republicans that he would take the position to be the new House Speaker if he will be given the assurance that the caucus will support him.
During a private meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday, Ryan reveals he is willing to take on the challenge "as long as disparate factions moved in the coming days to unite around him," The Washington Post reported on the same day.
"This is not a job I ever sought; this is not a job I ever wanted," he tells the reports. "I came to the conclusion that this was a dire moment."
Ryan also says he would want a formal endorsement from the Freedom Caucus before he proceeds and make the commitment.
