Watch conservative voters wildly cheer as Marco Rubio announces John Boehner's resignation

The Values Voters Summit isn't mourning the speaker's departure

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published September 25, 2015 3:17PM (EDT)

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 13, 2015. The House debates and votes for final passage on NSA Surveillance legislation, known as the USA Freedom Act. The measure seeks to codify President Barack Obama's proposal to end the NSA's collection of domestic calling records. It would allow the agency to request certain records held by the telephone companies under a court order in terrorism investigations. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP)
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 13, 2015. The House debates and votes for final passage on NSA Surveillance legislation, known as the USA Freedom Act. The measure seeks to codify President Barack Obama's proposal to end the NSA's collection of domestic calling records. It would allow the agency to request certain records held by the telephone companies under a court order in terrorism investigations. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP)

When Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio announced the surprising news that House Speaker John Boehner was stepping down to the annual conservative confab, Value Voters Summit, in Washington, D.C. today, dozens of conservative attendees broke out in heavy applause.

The crowd's excitement at the announcement that Boehner would leave Congress altogether on October 30 resulted in an extended standing ovation.

The Value Voters Summit is hosted by the ultra conservative Family Research Council and will feature Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal and Ben Carson.

Watch conservatives activists react to news of Boehner's resignation, via CSPAN:


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

MORE FROM Sophia Tesfaye

Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Gop Civil War House Speaker John Boehner John Boehner Value Voters Summit Video