Congressman Scott DesJarlais released the following statement after the announcement of Speaker John Boehner’s resignation:
“I am certainly thankful for Speaker Boehner’s career of public service in the House of Representatives. However, Tennessee’s Fourth District has long held the belief that Republican leadership needed a new direction.
That is why in January I voted against John Boehner for Speaker of the House. Now we must come together as a conference to ensure we elect a consistent, conservative leader.”
Senator Lamar Alexander said, “John Boehner has always tried to do what is best for the country. He has been a strong Speaker in a tough environment. Boehner’s successor will have exactly the same challenges and responsibilities that he has had: to demonstrate that Republicans can both adhere to our conservative principles and govern during serious times.”
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann said, “Speaker John Boehner has helped build the largest Republican majority in the House since 1928 and has been a great public servant throughout his tenure. He has represented the people of Ohio and our conference with dignity, dedication and honor. As we move forward I am confident we will fill his void and continue to fight to reduce the size of government and make it more accountable, transparent and efficient.”
Grant Starrett, Republican candidate for Congress in Tennessee's 4th Congressional District, said, "Speaker John Boehner has resigned. Congressman Scott DesJarlais voted for him multiple times and earned the right to call Boehner his largest PAC contributor. What we need in our next speaker is a consistent conservative who will actually solve our financial crisis, get the government out of the way of distorting the American family, and check President Obama's actions that wildly exceed his constitutional authority. When I get to Congress, that is whom I will look for, regardless of who currently holds the seat."
“I wish to thank Speaker John Boehner for his many years of dedicated service to our nation and, in particular, for his tireless efforts to improve K-12 education in America for all children,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children. “From his days as chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to his time as Speaker of the House, Speaker Boehner has been a true champion for school choice, fighting to ensure that children in low-income families could get access to a quality education. While he has many accomplishments, a lasting and important part of Speaker Boehner’s legacy will be the thousands of lives he helped change for the better through the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DC OSP). His efforts offered real hope and opportunity to children in low-income D.C. families who would have otherwise been trapped in schools that failed to meet their needs.”
“In 2003, as a member of the D.C. City Council, I worked with Mayor Tony Williams and Congress to enact the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program,” said Kevin P. Chavous, executive counsel to the American Federation for Children. “Over the 11 years of this incredible program, John Boehner has been our champion. He stuck with these kids and their families through thick and thin, and when he had his chance, he made sure this life-changing program would be reauthorized and fully funded. Speaker Boehner will always be remembered by the residents of D.C. for his kindness, leadership and willingness to challenge the status quo and fight to ensure low-income families have more access to quality educational options.”