John Boehner quitting as US House Speaker

WASHINGTON — In a stunning move, House Speaker John Boehner informed Republicans on Friday that he would step down at the end of October, giving up his coveted leadership post and his seat in Congress in the face of hardline conservative opposition.

The 13-term Ohio Republican shocked his GOP caucus early Friday morning when he informed them of his decision in a closed-door session. It came one day after the high point of Boehner’s congressional career, a historic speech by Pope Francis to Congress at Boehner’s request.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said Boehner “just does not want to become the issue. Some people have tried to make him the issue both in Congress and outside.”

Conservatives have demanded that any legislation to keep the government operating past Wednesday’s midnight deadline strip Planned Parenthood of its funds, a move rejected by the more pragmatic lawmakers. The dispute had threatened Boehner’s speakership and roiled the GOP caucus.

Boehner helped organize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in March. Netanyahu wanted the opportunity to speak out against the emerging Iran nuclear deal favored by the Obama administration. Boehner asked Netanyahu and the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, to keep planning for the speech secret.

Netanyahu’s agreement to keep the planning secret catapulted an already tense relationship with President Barack Obama into one of open hostility. Democrats in the White House and in Congress treated him as a GOP partisan, ready to collude with Obama’s political enemies.

Obama and Netanyahu will meet in November in a bid to tamp down tensions now that the sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions deal reached between Iran and six major powers is ready to move forward.

The likeliest replacement for Boehner is Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the majority leader in the House who is more conservative than Boehner. McCarthy has close ties to pro-Israel Republicans, speaking earlier this year at the Republican Jewish Coalition forum in Las Vegas.

Boehner has longstanding ties to the Jewish community, dating to the launch of his career as a local politician in southern Ohio,

“Speaker Boehner has always been attuned to the interests of the Jewish community,” said William Daroff, the Washington director of the Jewish Federations of North America, who launched his own career as a page to Boehner in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Daroff said Boehner worked with Jewish groups “closely to help those served by our social service agencies, to bolster the philanthropic sector and to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. His steadfast leadership will be missed.”

Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition Matt Brooks said in a statement shortly after Boehner’s announcement that Boehner’s service was “tremendous.”

Brooks said: “On behalf of the Republican Jewish Coalition, I would like express our appreciation for the tremendous service of Speaker Boehner. He has been a dedicated public servant. Most importantly he has been an unwavering ally and supporter of Israel and the pro-Israel agenda. This March he proved his strength of leadership by inviting (Israeli) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress regarding this President’s misguided Iran deal and then helped lead the effort in the House this fall to oppose the President’s Iran agreement. He will be missed by all those Americans who believe that there should be no daylight between the United States and our ally Israel.”

Boehner took over the speakership in January 2011.

— Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.