Boehner garnered 220 votes, but 12 members either opposed, voted present or abstained. | JAY WESTCOTT/POLITICO Boehner's battle for speaker

John Boehner won reelection to a second term as House speaker on Thursday, but it wasn’t easy.

In an unusually suspenseful roll-call vote of the new House of Representatives, Boehner garnered 220 votes, but 12 Republican lawmakers either opposed him, voted present or abstained.


( Also on POLITICO: New Congress with same old problems)

The reduced margin from his unanimous election two years ago demonstrates Boehner’s increasingly fragile hold on House Republicans. While there was no danger that Boehner would ever lose Thursday’s election for speaker, a frantic lobbying effort occurred in the hours before the vote to hold down potential “no” votes, said members and GOP leadership aides.

Boehner’s reelection also comes just two days after the GOP-led House passed a fiscal cliff deal that will implement taxes on the wealthy, which is anathema to many Republicans. Indeed, 151 Republicans — including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) — rebelled against the cliff deal, and only 85 GOPers supported it.

( Also on POLITICO: Who won, lost with fiscal cliff deal)

The opposition against the Ohio Republican came from familiar conservatives — including perpetual thorns-in-the-side Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), who voted for someone else; and Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) and Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), who abstained.

Freshman Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas), who previously served one House term in the mid-90s, voted “present.”

Boehner did not mention the controversy over his reelection in his acceptance speech, gliding over an issue that riveted House members for the last 48 hours.

“It’s a big job, and it comes with big challenges,” Boehner said in a speech before his colleagues.

“Our government has built up too much debt. Our economy is not producing enough jobs. These are not separate problems.”

Boehner urged lawmakers to be “truly willing” to solve the nation’s problems, including the burgeoning federal debt.

“Public service was never meant to be an easy living. Extraordinary challenges demand extraordinary leadership,” he said.“So if you have come here to see your name in lights or to pass off political victory as accomplishment, you have come to the wrong place. The door is behind you.”

But it’s Boehner’s job wrangling his restive conference that is becoming especially tricky. Starting after the 2010 elections, a surge of conservative tea-party members came to Congress and returned Republicans to the House majority. But those conservatives were bent on shrinking the government at nearly all costs, helping to sink the debt ceiling negotiations between Boehner and President Barack Obama in summer 2011. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) eventually crafted a deal that passed the House thanks to Democratic votes.

They flaunted their independence again in attempts to craft a 2012 fiscal cliff deal between Boehner and Obama, but weren’t realized. Boehner couldn’t get his right flank to go along with his own “Plan B” bill to raise taxes on millionaires. The final cliff deal that came out of the House was passed with a minority of Republicans and a heavy helping of House Democrats.

But Boehner’s challenges in the 112th Congress may pale in comparison to his burdens in 2013 as conservatives rally to recoup what they see as a major loss in the cliff fight, with the debt ceiling and government funding battles looming over February and March. The fight over the sequester — automated spending cuts that will hit the Pentagon and other federal agencies — will come in the next two months as well.

And from today’s vote for speaker, his challenges are crystal clear.

“I’m very worried that with the elections today it might be Republicans in the minority,” said Huelskamp, who has already lost a committee assignment because of his staunch conservative stands. Huelskamp voted for conservative Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker. “I want conservative leadership that is not being provided by the speaker.”

Though Huelskamp said he wasn’t lobbied on the speaker vote because he’s already been “punished,” the Kansas Republican said that he believed the “arm-twisting was very intense.”

“Committee assignments were threatened,” Huelskamp claimed, although he offered no specifics. “Some committee chairmanships that have already not been announced but awarded were indicated. Certain folks that received money from the National Republican Congressional Committee were suggested they might it before, excuse me, not receive it again.”

“If Americans knew intimidation techniques they would be very concerned.”

The GOP leadership roundly denied Huelskamp’s charges.

During the roll-call for speaker, there were protest votes that ranged from serious to silly.

For example, Gohmert and Broun voted for defeated Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.).

Amash voted for Labrador . And Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.) voted for Amash.

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and newly-elected Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) voted for Cantor (R-Va.). Cantor shook his head

Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) voted for former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker. Walker ran the General Accounting Office from 1998 to 2008.

Anna Palmer contributed to this report.

This article tagged under: John Boehner

Politics