Update 4:09 p.m.: Amash tweeted from his official Twitter account Thursday that he was "Proud 2 vote 4" Labrador for speaker.

"Raul would defend liberty & work honestly w/Ds on debt reduction," Amash tweeted. "We must act now 4 sake of next gen."

Amash often takes to social media to explain votes and congressional developments. They were his first comments online following the vote.

Proud 2 vote 4 @Raul_Labrador 4 Spkr. Raúl would defend liberty & work honestly w/Ds on debt reduction. We must act now 4 sake of next gen. — Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who last month was booted from a key House panel by embattled Speaker John Boehner, snubbed the GOP leader for reelection as the 113th Congress convened Thursday, Jan. 3.

Amash, who was ousted from the House Budget Committee for breaking with party leaders on important issues, voted for Republican Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho to be speaker.

It was a surprising move, but only because of who Amash ultimately supported for the spot. Since his ouster, Amash had signaled possible revolt against Boehner.

Boehner was narrowly reelected Thursday. He received 220 votes. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California nabbed 192 votes.

There were 15 votes in the other/present category. Amash himself received one vote, from Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Amash spokesman Will Adams said in an email a few hours before the vote Amash was "undecided" about supporting Boehner.

Because the roll call was alphabetical, Amash's vote was the first against Boehner.

Amash's fellow West Michigan GOP lawmaker, Rep. Bill Huizenga of Zeeland, voted in favor of the speaker's reelection.

U.S. Reps. Justin Amash and Bill Huizenga

An email was sent to Adams seeking comment on Amash's vote. Labrador, the lawmaker Amash nominated, abstained from voting.

Boehner was reelected to his post despite widespread scrutiny over his job security following two years atop a fractious Republican caucus and a contentious fiscal cliff vote earlier in the week.

Prior to the vote, Amash was named by some media outlets, such as The Hill newspaper, as one lawmaker more likely to vote against Boehner.

His ouster from the budget panel was widely cited. Another lawmaker ousted from a prime spot, GOP Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, voted for a Florida Republican to be speaker.

Amash and Huizenga both voted against a fiscal cliff bill that, upon its passage in the House late New Years Day, averted substantial income tax hikes on nearly 99 percent of Americans.

The bill did allow a payroll tax cut enacted in 2011 to expire, meaning most Americans face a 2 percent payroll tax hike starting this year.

Despite criticism of Boehner within the Republican caucus for allowing the fiscal cliff bill to pass without added spending cuts, Huizenga supported the speaker's reelection, spokesman Brian Patrick said Wednesday.

"Reasonable people can have different approaches and different opinions," Patrick said.

Amash's discontent with Boehner was evident well before Thursday's vote.

Nearly a month prior, after he'd been ousted from the budget panel, Amash told MLive he was unsure he would support Boehner's reelection.

"He hasn’t been very supportive of me, so let’s see if he’s willing to make amends here," Amash said.

Conservative websites, including Breitbart.com and The Daily Caller, had signaled Boehner faced revolt from as many as two-dozen Republican lawmakers prior to the vote.

Still, many media outlets reported Boehner would be reelected, focusing instead on what lies ahead for the GOP leader as pressing fiscal and other issues await the new Congress.

Huizenga and Amash both are posturing themselves for what is expected to be another brutal battle on federal spending, the nation's debt limit and deficit reduction.

Zane McMillin may be reached through email and Twitter.