Washington (CNN)John
Boehner, the Ohio Republican who steered his party to an overwhelming
House majority in 2010, told colleagues Friday he's stepping down as
Speaker and will leave Congress at the end of October.
The
abrupt decision comes after he faced heavy pressure from conservatives
to take a harder line on their causes, most recently over defunding
Planned Parenthood as part of a package that would keep the government
open.
Boehner, who has presided over
the House since 2011, explained during a closed-door meeting with
Republicans Friday morning that he had only planned to serve two terms
as speaker but decided to hold onto his post after then-House Majority
Leader Eric Cantor lost his seat during a primary last year, a
Republican lawmaker in the room told CNN.
Boehner,
who will speak at a 1 p.m. news conference, also told the lawmakers
that Pope Francis' visit to Congress the day before was a crystallizing
moment, according to the lawmaker. Boehner then read the prayer of St.
Francis to the conference after announcing his decision.
The
Ohio Republican's tenure as speaker has been marked by clashes with
conservatives -- especially when it comes to fiscal policy. He's
struggled to push through legislation to increase the debt ceiling and
was facing another showdown next week to keep the government open. The
speaker has often relied on Democratic votes during these moments -- a
strategy that has infuriated conservatives.
Boehner said in a statement late Friday morning that he was "full of gratitude" to his colleagues and constituents and said he is "proud" of the Republican majority's accomplishments under his leadership.
But he also pointed to turmoil within his caucus as the reason for his resignation.
"It
is my view, however, that prolonged leadership turmoil would do
irreparable damage to the institution," Boehner wrote in his first
comments since the announcement. "To that end, I will resign the
Speakership and my seat in Congress on October 30."
Boehner
said that he had planned to only serve as Speaker until the end of last
year, but stayed on in the top post "to provide continuity" -- a nod to
Cantor's defeat.
A Republican source
close to Boehner said the announcement "was not some big orchestrated
move," explaining that Boehner informed only his most senior aides
Thursday night of his decision.
"After
yesterday with the Pope, he decided to leave on this high note," a top
Boehner aide told CNN. "Literally did not make the decision til last
night."
President Barack Obama said
Friday at a previously scheduled news conference alongside Chinese
President Xi Jinping that he called Boehner after learning of his
resignation.
He did not say what he
told Boehner, but praised him as "a good man" and "a patriot" who "cares
deeply" about the country who always kept his word.
"We
have obviously had a lot of disagreements and politically we're at
diferent ends of the spectrum," Obama said. "He has always conducted
himself with courtesy and civility with me. He has kept his word when he
made a commitment. He is somebody who has been gracious. Most
importantly he's somebody who understands that in government and in
governance you don't get 100% of what you want."
