The House of Representatives elected John Boehner to a third term as House speaker on Tuesday, despite significant challenges from dissatisfied conservative members of his own party.
A total of 216 House members voted for Boehner, while 24 House Republicans voted for someone other than Boehner, and one voted "present," its largest number of defections from an incumbent speaker in at least 100 years, The Washington Post reported.
Among alternative candidates for speakership, Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., received the most number of votes from discontented Republicans - 12 - followed by Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, with three, and Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., with two votes. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also received two votes, while Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., each received one vote.
Because the Constitution allows lawmakers to vote for any U.S. citizen for speaker, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Jeff Sessions of Alabama, along with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, each received one vote, reported The Hill.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., received 164 votes out of the 408 total votes cast.
While Boehner won without much trouble, the ongoing rift between a number of conservative GOP members and party leaders will make advancing legislation difficult in the coming years.
As noted by The Huffington Post, the fact that so many Republicans were willing to publicly denounce Boehner could spell trouble soon as later this month, when the House begins to debate a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which is largely responsible to implementing President Barack Obama's new immigrant amnesty program. The defectors are also likely to make waves again in the spring, when Congress works to extend the debt limit.
"As Speaker, all I ask - and, frankly, expect - is that we disagree without being disagreeable," Boehner said in a short address. "In return, I pledge to help each of you carry out your duties. My door, of course, is always open," Boehner told lawmakers.
"My colleagues: some treat what we do here as shadowboxing and show business. But let me tell you, it is work. It is a grind, as it should be in striving to preserve the things we hold dear. Every day you and I come out here, try to plant good seeds, cultivate the ground, take care of the pests.
"And then: with patience, some sacrifice, and God's grace, there will be a harvest."
