John Boehner Cancels ‘Tonight Show’ Appearance
U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH, 8th District), who recently announced his resignation as Speaker of the House, has cancelled a scheduled appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” TheWrap has learned.
The cancellation comes on the heels of the news that Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA, 22nd District), Boehner’s presumptive replacement, has dropped out of the running to become the new Speaker. Boehner had previously announced that he would step down as Speaker next month.
In a statement on Twitter, Boehner indicated that he is focusing on his House duties until the issue of settling on a replacement Speaker is resolved:
“After Leader McCarthy’s announcement, members of the House Republican Conference will not vote today for a new Speaker. As I have said previously, I will serve as Speaker until the House votes to elect a new Speaker. We will announce the date for this election at a later date, and I’m confident we will elect a new Speaker in the coming weeks. Our conference will work together to ensure we have the strongest team possible as we continue to focus on the American people’s priorities.”
Also Read: Speaker John Boehner to Resign From Congress
Boehner became Speaker of the House in January, 2011 and helmed a divided Republican Party featuring a large crop of Tea Party insurgent lawmakers who opposed many of the establishment Republicans more likely to compromise with Democrats and President Obama.
Boehner’s tenure as Speaker has been a tumultuous one; he presided over a raucous Republican caucus with figures like presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who was hell bent on shutting down the government over policies like Obamacare rather than compromise or work with the president.
