Today, Congressman John Boehner announced that he will resign as Speaker of the House. Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) issued a statement in response calling it a “a wake-up call to stop ignoring the will of the people.”
In January, Congressman Paul Gosar was the only Arizona Republican to oppose Boehner. In her first official act as Arizona’s newest representative, Martha McSally joined the majority of the Arizona Congressional delegation and voted for John Boehner to keep his spot as Speaker of the House.
Salmon said, “This is a gut-check for everyone in Washington. Either we finally rise up to the occasion and stop caving to the Obama administration’s every demand, or we remember the powers of the legislative branch that were designed by our Founding Fathers to prevent the executive branch from becoming a dictatorship.”
Salmon did congratulate Boehner for “everything he has done to advance Republican principles throughout his congressional career. During my years in Congress, I have had Mr. Boehner as a committee chairman and as a speaker, and I have always found him to be a decent and moral man who did what he thought was right, even when I disagreed with him.”
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“But I also wish to congratulate Mr. Boehner for doing the right thing and relinquishing his duties as Speaker of the House. As the leader of the Republican Party in Congress, the Speaker must be willing to fight the Obama administration’s dangerous, immoral, and sometimes illegal, actions using every tool our Constitution provides. This is what the majority of Americans want their leaders in Congress to do, and ultimately, Mr. Boehner could no longer provide the leadership necessary to do this,” continued Salmon’s statement.
“Every member of Congress represents a unique district full of constituents from every demographic and angle of the political spectrum. Over the past several months, it has become increasingly clear that in mine, Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, removing Mr. Boehner as Speaker was a top priority. Because of this, I had already committed to vote against any efforts to retain Mr. Boehner as Speaker,” said Salmon. “His resignation will now allow us to avoid this fight so Republicans can choose a new Speaker who, I am hopeful, will bring every member to the table, including those who he or she may disagree with.”
Rep. Gosar posted his comment on Facebook today:
“Before you comment on Speaker Boehner’s resignation, hear me out: John Boehner served the people of Ohio and this nation with a full heart. I have the utmost respect for him AND YOU SHOULD TOO. He helped regain the Speaker’s gavel for Republicans, essentially putting the brakes on the Obama Administration. He is a good man and I wish him happiness as he moves into the next chapter of his life.
“Looking forward, at this pivotal moment for our nation, we need bold, Conservative leadership that will install a legislative process with integrity and accountability. The American people have been calling for a return to regular order and a break from the status quo in D.C. ever since they elected a Republican majority back in 2010. This was the catalyst for my decision to run for office and has been my top priority since day one. Unfortunately, the actions from Republican leadership did not reflect the will of the American people and a change was clearly needed. I look forward to working with my House colleagues to ensure YOUR priorities are represented in our new leadership.