CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) is giving high marks to outgoing U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) ahead of his resignation from that role and from his House seat in just more than a month.
“I think he did a great job,” said Capito who served in the U.S. House with Boehner from 2001 to January of this year when she moved to the U.S. Senate.
Boehner’s decision was not a complete surprise to Capito.
“I was more surprised at the timing because it just came right on the heels of the Pope visit,” she said. “I’m not surprised that he’s decided, for the good of the institution and the country probably, that he’s going to resign at the end of October.”
It was not immediately clear what Boehner’s resignation announcement would mean for a short-term spending plan to fund the U.S. government beyond the end of the current fiscal year which comes on Wednesday.
On Sunday’s CBS “Face the Nation,”, Boehner criticized what he called “unrealistic” promises from some of his Republican House colleagues. “The Bible says ‘Beware of false prophets.’ And there are people out there spreading noise about how much can get done,” he said.
Boehner predicted the short-term funding resolution, also called a continuing resolution or CR, would pass this week with help from U.S. House Democrats.
Some members of the Republican Party have been pushing for a funding bill that includes no money for Planned Parenthood after undercover videos surfaced, allegedly showing those with the organization discussing selling tissue from aborted fetuses. The group has claimed the videos were “heavily” edited.
After previously supporting an unsuccessful effort to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, Capito said her latest decision on a spending plan would not be swayed by that issue alone.
“I will not shut down the government,” Capito pledged on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline.” “I will not go down that road again.”
In October 2013, the government closed for 16 days when Congress failed to agree on a budget.
“It disrupts our economy. It creates fear in many people’s minds, including anybody who’s on a VA benefit, a Social Security benefit, our military — are they going to get paid? And, in the end, you’re going to have to open it back up. We know that,” she said.
Capito said she planned to vote as soon as Monday night to move forward with a “clean” resolution that would keep the government funded through Dec. 11.
As of Monday morning, 2nd District Congressman Alex Mooney Mooney (R-W.Va.) was waiting to see the latest form of the spending plan.
“I’ll vote for a bill that opens government and does not fund Planned Parenthood, that funds the appropriate parts of government like the military and transportation,” Mooney said. “I do not think funding Planned Parenthood is a necessary government function.”
First elected to the U.S. House in 1990, Boehner has served as Speaker since 2011. He lead Republican opposition efforts to a number of President Barack Obama’s initiatives, including the Affordable Care Act.
Possible replacements for Boehner include House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California), House Financial Services Committee Chair Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana).
The federal fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Boehner’s final day in Congress is scheduled for Oct. 30.