Boehner, << BAY nuhr, >> John Andrew (1949-…), served as the speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, began serving his first term in the House in 1991. From February 2006 to January 2007, he served as House majority leader. He became the House minority leader in 2007, after his party lost its majority in the House. Boehner became speaker after the Republicans regained a majority in the 2010 elections.
As a congressman, Boehner supported efforts to limit federal spending, expose corruption in government, reduce abortions, and regulate public education. In 2001, he led efforts to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, a law that sought to hold schools accountable for student progress. Boehner was also a strong supporter of the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Boehner was born on Nov. 17, 1949, in Cincinnati. He served in the U.S. Navy in 1969. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from Xavier University in 1977. After graduation, Boehner worked for a firm that sold plastics and packaging, and became its president before leaving in 1990. He served on the board of trustees for Union Township, Ohio, from 1981 to 1984. Boehner was elected to the Ohio state legislature in 1984 and served until 1990, when he was elected to his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Boehner served as chairman of the House Republican Conference from 1995 to 1998. In that position, he was the fourth-ranking Republican in Congress.
Republicans regained a majority in the House following the 2010 elections. Boehner, as speaker, led the party’s strong opposition to the policies of President Barack Obama. In 2015, Boehner faced political pressure from the House’s more conservative members who wished to link a budget agreement with the defunding of reproductive health centers that also provide abortions. Boehner resigned his House seat at the end of October. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin succeeded Boehner as speaker.
