Boehner Making Waves on His Way to the Exit

John Boehner’s speakership is not ending quietly.

With less than four weeks left in his decades-long congressional career, Boehner is maneuvering to shape the House Republican Conference on his way out. His goal is to leave the conference he helped build —with countless hours of grunt work and hundreds of millions of dollars in fundraising — in the strongest position possible.

He has all but officially endorsed Rep. Kevin McCarthy to succeed him, giving the majority leader enough of a nod to express confidence but short of the full-throated endorsement that could sink him. Boehner tried to lure a candidate into the majority leader race against one of his own top lieutenants, a move aimed at bolstering McCarthy’s right flank.

And on Monday, he delayed for several weeks the election of the party’s next majority leader and whip. This move gives the conference time to reconsider their internal rules, and could quash arguments that the leadership is rushing to a vote.

None of the moves are seismic, but they are meaningful. And one man in particular is feeling the brunt: Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the current whip who is running for majority leader. (Read more from “Boehner Making Waves on His Way to the Exit” HERE)

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