Boehner Getting His Troops In Line For The Next Battle--Immigration Reform. It Won't Be What Conservatives Want!

Boehner Flips Out On Conservative Groups For Criticizing Lackluster Budget Deal

December 12, 2013 by Sam Rolley 

 13 5

 

 1 129

During his weekly press briefing on Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) unloaded on conservative groups who have criticized his agenda throughout the years and are now attacking the $85 billion bipartisan budget compromise announced earlier in the week.

“Frankly, I just think they’ve lost all credibility,” Boehner told reporters.

While the lawmaker didn’t name any specific groups during the press conference, it is well known that organizations like Heritage Action and Club for Growth have called the lawmaker out for his willingness to meet Democrats’ demands in the past. The House Speaker said that the groups, who have strongly supported many Tea Party candidates, have gone too far this time.

The lawmaker claimed that one group even acknowledged that it knew the government shutdown strategy wouldn’t be a success for the GOP, but pushed conservative lawmakers to support it nonetheless.

“Are you kidding me?” Boehner shouted.

“Frankly I think they’re misleading their followers. I think they’re pushing our members in places they don’t want to be,” he added. “And frankly I just think they’ve lost all credibility.”

When asked if he was calling on the outside groups to dial down their lobbying of conservatives in Congress, Boehner said, “I don’t care what they do.”

The lawmaker, who first criticized outside conservative groups on Wednesday, has been praised by his Democratic colleagues for the remarks. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said Boehner’s criticisms were a “a breath of fresh air.” The Senator also recently said that the groups were “showing the American people why the rules had to be changed” for filibusters in the Senate.