John Boehner resigning as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives could be good for Kansas 1st District Congressman Tim Huelskamp. As KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports, Huelskamp hailed the announcement that Boehner was stepping down.
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There’s no love lost between Huelskamp, from the 1st District in western Kansas, and Speaker Boehner. After some conflict, Huelskamp lost his positions on the important Agriculture and Budget Committees.
“This could actually be a bit of a rebirth in Congress for Tim Huelskamp," says Chapman Rackaway, a political science professor at Fort Hays State University.
He says the division between the two wasn’t just political, but personal. A new speaker, even one that isn’t as conservative as Huelskamp, may open the door to a better relationship.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Congressman Huelskamp if he wants to have some kind of connection to leadership, or if he just wants back on Agriculture, which should be his primary goal,” says Rackaway.
Boehner will officially step down at the end of October.