Rep. Tim Huelskamp, chairman of the House Tea Party Caucus, says John Boehner's resignation was no big surprise because, "It was not a question of if, but when he would no longer be speaker."
And Huelskamp, a Kansas Republican, declared Boehner's bow-out a big loss to the GOP establishment.
"The reason John Boehner is not going to be speaker come Oct. 30 is he's lost the trust of the Republican caucus. He didn't have the votes to stay," Huelskamp said Friday on"The Steve Malzberg Show" on
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"Most importantly though, John Boehner represents the Republican establishment in Washington and they certainly have lost touch and trust of the grassroots conservatives across America."
"This is a day the establishment's lost, John Boehner's had a long storied career, but as I thought two-and-a-half years ago, it's too long, it's time to move long and finally we have enough folks that agreed."
Huelskamp praised Boehner of Ohio of bidding adieu in "a classy way," but said he expects fireworks on Capitol Hill.
"There's still this battle going on. Is the Republican Party going to work for conservative principles that we all campaign on? Or is that just going to be election year rhetoric?" Huelskamp told Malzberg.
"We have a chance to actually put our actions where our words are and hopefully that will happen soon."
Huelskamp said he remembered Boehner making a solemn vow in December 2010.
"He said, 'I'm going to defend this institution, we're going to have an open debate, we're going to do our job, we're going to use our power over the purse to take on this president and we're going to let you vote your conscience, your conservative principles,'" he said.
"Within four months, in my mind, I thought he had failed on all those accounts, so it got so bad that just a few months ago John Boehner's out attacking conservatives instead of Barack Obama or the EPA or even Planned Parenthood."
"It was not a question of if, but when he would no longer be speaker."
Huelskamp said as Boehner winds down his term, he still has the ability to further disappoint his constituents.
"The only thing John Boehner has left to lose are his pro-life principles. He told us in a conference three weeks ago, a month ago, two months ago, that he was the most pro-life speaker ever and he's always voted to defund Planned Parenthood," Huelskamp said.
"What a tragedy … if he would as his final action, pass a bill that funds an entity that traffics in baby body parts."
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