House speaker vote: John Boehner wins reelection after tough few weeks (+video)

Two weeks ago, at least 50 GOP conservatives scuttled Boehner’s “Plan B,” which would have extended Bush-era tax cuts to most taxpayers but allowed taxes to rise on income of more than $1 million. Boehner’s inability to rally his own caucus behind the plan, an alternative to Obama's plan to cap extending Bush-era tax cuts at $250,000, ended Boehner's role in the negotiations, which flipped to the Senate. In the end, the House voted on a compromise debt deal worked out between Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Vice President Joe Biden.

The vote this week on the Senate deal threw House Republicans into even more disarray. Most committee chairs, including Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, voted with Boehner to support the Senate bill. But 151 Republicans – more than 60 percent of the caucus – including majority leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and majority whip Kevin McCarthy of California opposed the Senate bill, which called for the first hike in federal income tax rates in 20 years

Then, to cap an unusually bad week for House GOP unity, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Northeast congressional lawmakers publicly blasted Boehner’s decision late Tuesday night to cancel a vote on $60 billion in relief aid to victims of superstorm Sandy, a move that required the issue to be restarted in the new Congress.

“There’s only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims, the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner,” Governor Christie said in a news conference in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday.

Rep. Peter King (R) of New York called Boehner’s refusal to take up the disaster-relief package a “disgrace.”

Facing an untimely revolt a day before elections for speaker, Boehner and House Republican leaders on Wednesday reversed course and scheduled a vote Friday on a first installment of $9.7 billion for disaster funding. Another vote to deliver more aid will take place by Jan. 15, GOP leaders say.

Ron Meyer, a spokesman for American Majority Action, a conservative group that worked to oust Boehner, said before Thursday's vote that there were as many as 20 GOP lawmakers ready to vote “nay,” forcing a second ballot and, possibly, a Boehner resignation.

“His approval rating is the worst of any politician in Washington,” he added. “There is a legitimate movement to get him out."

Boehner famously survived being kicked out of House GOP leadership after being implicated in a coup to topple Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1998.  He worked his way back through, in part, his committee work as chair of the panel that worked out President George W. Bush’s signature No Child Left Behind law.

As speaker, Boehner pledged to restore the House as a body where members can legislate through committee work, not just vote along partisan lines on bills drafted by party leadership.

Critics have said Boehner has failed to control his caucus. But supporters say his style has been to allow views in the caucus to be fully expressed and allow the caucus to work as a deliberative body, even if it means exposing rifts in Republican ranks.

“He lets the House work its will and takes the defeat,” says Rep. Tom Cole (R) of Oklahoma, the deputy whip. “That's why we are where we are today. That also means you’ve got an exceptionally strong speaker.”

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