John Boehner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Boehner
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Official portrait, 2009
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| 53rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 5, 2011 – October 29, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Nancy Pelosi |
| Succeeded by | Paul Ryan |
| House Minority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 |
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| Whip | Roy Blunt Eric Cantor |
| Preceded by | Nancy Pelosi |
| Succeeded by | Nancy Pelosi |
| Leader of the House Republican Conference | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – October 29, 2015 |
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| Deputy | Roy Blunt Eric Cantor Kevin McCarthy |
| Preceded by | Dennis Hastert |
| Succeeded by | Paul Ryan |
| House Majority Leader | |
| In office February 2, 2006 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Speaker | Dennis Hastert |
| Whip | Roy Blunt |
| Preceded by | Roy Blunt (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Steny Hoyer |
| Chair of the House Education Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | William F. Goodling |
| Succeeded by | Howard McKeon |
| Chair of the House Republican Conference | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999 |
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| Leader | Newt Gingrich |
| Vice Chair | Susan Molinari Jennifer Dunn |
| Preceded by | Dick Armey |
| Succeeded by | J. C. Watts |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 8th district |
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| In office January 3, 1991 – October 31, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Buz Lukens |
| Succeeded by | Warren Davidson |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 57th district |
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| In office January 3, 1985 – December 31, 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Donham |
| Succeeded by | Scott Nein |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Andrew Boehner
November 17, 1949 Reading, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Deborah Gunlack
(m. 1973) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Xavier University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1968 (8 weeks) |
John Andrew Boehner (born November 17, 1949) is an American retired politician. He was the 53rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. The Speaker is the leader of the House of Representatives, one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress.
Boehner is a member of the Republican Party. He served 13 terms as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 8th district from 1991 to 2015. This district included areas near the cities of Cincinnati and Dayton. Before becoming Speaker, he was the House Minority Leader (2007–2011) and House Majority Leader (2006–2007). He was first elected Speaker in 2011 and re-elected twice. He left Congress in October 2015.
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Early Life and Education
John Boehner was born in Reading, Ohio, on November 17, 1949. He was the second of twelve children. His parents were Mary Anne and Earl Henry Boehner. His family had German and Irish roots. He grew up in a small, two-bedroom house in Cincinnati, sharing one bathroom with his eleven brothers and sisters.
He started working at his family's bar when he was just 8 years old. This business was started by his grandfather, Andy Boehner, in 1938. John Boehner has lived in Southwest Ohio his whole life.
Boehner went to Moeller High School in Cincinnati. He played linebacker on the school's football team. After graduating in 1968, he joined the United States Navy. However, he was honorably discharged after eight weeks because of a back problem. He later earned a B.A. degree in business administration from Xavier University in 1977. He was the first person in his family to go to college. He worked several jobs for seven years to pay for his education.
Early Career in Politics
After graduating from college in 1977, Boehner worked for a small sales company in the plastics industry called Nucite Sales. He was promoted several times and eventually became the company's president. He left this job in 1990 when he was elected to Congress.
Before joining Congress, Boehner served on the board of trustees for Union Township, Butler County, Ohio, from 1981 to 1984. He then became a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1985 to 1990.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
When John Boehner first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, he was not well-known. He ran in the Republican primary election against two other candidates. Even though he spent much less money on his campaign, he won with 49 percent of the votes. He then easily defeated his Democratic opponent in the November election. After that, he was re-elected to Congress 12 more times, winning by a large amount each time.
The "Gang of Seven" and the Contract with America
During his first year in Congress, Boehner was part of a group called the "Gang of Seven." This group helped bring attention to some problems in Congress, like the "House banking scandal." They also looked into issues at the Congressional Post Office, which led to a Congressman being charged with crimes.
Later, in 1994, Boehner worked with Newt Gingrich and other Republican lawmakers to create the Contract with America. This was a list of promises and goals that Republicans wanted to achieve if they won control of Congress. It helped the Republican Party win a majority in Congress for the first time in 40 years during the 1994 elections.
Republican Leadership Roles
From 1995 to 1999, John Boehner was the House Republican Conference Chairman. This made him the fourth-highest-ranking Republican in the House. During this time, he supported the Freedom to Farm Act, which changed how the government supported farmers.
In 1997, some Republicans tried to replace Speaker Newt Gingrich. Boehner was part of this group. However, the plan did not work out, and Gingrich stayed as Speaker. After Republicans lost some seats in the 1998 elections, there were changes in the Republican leadership. Boehner lost his position as conference chairman.
Leading the Education and Labor Committee
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After George W. Bush became president, Boehner was chosen to be the chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. He held this role from 2001 to 2006. In this position, he helped create new laws like the Pension Protection Act. He also supported a successful program that gave vouchers (money) to low-income children in Washington, D.C., to help them attend different schools.
Boehner also worked with Senator Ted Kennedy to pass the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This important education law was signed by President George W. Bush in 2002. Boehner said that this law was his "proudest achievement" in his many years of public service. He and Senator Kennedy, who were both Catholic, were friends and often helped raise money for Catholic schools.
House Republican Leader
In 2005, when the Majority Leader position became open, Boehner ran for it. He promised to make changes, like controlling "earmarks" (special spending requests) and reducing government spending. He won the vote among House Republicans and became the House Majority Leader. This meant he was the second-in-command for Republicans in the House.
After the Republicans lost control of the House in the 2006 elections, Boehner was chosen as the Minority Leader. As Minority Leader, he was the main leader of the House Republicans. He was the Republican candidate for Speaker in 2006 and 2008 but lost both times to Nancy Pelosi.
Speaker of the House (2011–2015)
In the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans won many more seats and gained control of the House of Representatives. On November 17, 2010, House Republicans chose Boehner to be their candidate for Speaker. This meant he was almost certain to become Speaker when the new Congress started in January 2011. He officially became Speaker on January 5, 2011, taking the "gavel" (a symbol of authority) from outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
He was the first Speaker from Ohio in many years. As Speaker, he was still the leader of the House Republicans. However, by tradition, the Speaker usually does not take part in debates or vote on laws. He also did not serve on any House committees during his time as Speaker.
Boehner was re-elected as Speaker on January 3, 2013, at the start of the 113th United States Congress. He received 220 votes, which was just enough to win.
In July 2014, Boehner supported a lawsuit against President Obama. The lawsuit was about the President's actions on healthcare and immigration policies.
Resignation
On September 25, 2015, John Boehner announced that he would step down as Speaker and leave Congress at the end of October 2015. His resignation became official on October 31, 2015.
Political Views
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John Boehner has always been a Republican. He has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which means he promises to oppose tax increases.
When asked about climate change, Boehner said in 2014 that he was "not qualified to debate the science." He also criticized proposed government rules on coal-fired power plants.
In 2011, Boehner was against the military action in Libya led by NATO. In 2015, he supported the military action led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. He said he praised the Saudis for protecting their country and region.
After Congress
After leaving Congress, John Boehner wrote a book about his time in Washington called On the House: A Washington Memoir. It was published on April 13, 2021.
In September 2016, a large lobbying firm called Squire Patton Boggs announced that Boehner would join their company. He also became a board member of Reynolds American, a tobacco company.
Personal Life
John Boehner married his wife, Debbie, in 1973. They lived in West Chester Township, Ohio, and have two daughters, Lindsay and Tricia. John Boehner is known for being emotional and sometimes crying during important events.
On May 15, 2016, the University of Notre Dame awarded Boehner the Laetare Medal. This is considered the highest honor for American Catholics. Joe Biden also received the medal at the same time.
Honors
Japan:
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (March 14, 2017)
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See also
In Spanish: John Boehner para niños
