MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Boehner calls hard-line conservatives 'false prophets' and pledges funds for Planned Parenthood

Boehner said claimed ultra conservatives “whip people into a frenzy believing they can accomplish things they know, they know are never going to happen.”

Blasting hard-line conservatives as “false prophets,” US House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday said Congress will avoid a government shutdown this week and he will push through as much unfinished legislation as possible before leaving at the end of October.

 Speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation two days after his surprise resignation, he said the House this week would pass a Senate-authored government funding bill that does not meet conservatives’ demands to cut off money for Planned Parenthood, adding that he will impanel a select committee to investigate the women’s healthcare provider after “undercover” videos renewed outrage among conservatives about government funding for the women's health provider.

Asked if passage would require Democratic votes, he responded: “I’m sure it will, but I suspect my Democratic colleagues want to keep the government open as much as I do.”

Earlier this year, anti-abortion activists released secret video recordings of conversations with Planned Parenthood officials about the use of fetal tissue for medical research. The recordings of the frank conversations outraged many who oppose legalized abortion, who said the videos raised new questions about whether Planned Parenthood was profiting from the sale of fetal tissue.

In light of the videos, many Republicans have vowed to defund Planned Parenthood, and a group of conservative lawmakers said they would refuse to vote for any spending bill that included funding for the organization. Those vows stirred speculation that the government could shut down temporarily over the funding disagreement, but Boehner’s announcement that he will resign from Congress is widely expected to have limited the chances of a shutdown.

Boehner resigned amid deep divisions among House Republicans over a range of issues including a September 30 deadline to approve new funding for federal agencies.

Conservative Republicans, some of whom have called for his ouster, have insisted on punishing Planned Parenthood by denying funds over allegations that the non-profit group improperly sold tissue harvested from aborted fetuses.

Planned Parenthood denies any wrongdoing. House Democrats and Planned Parenthood were quick to decry the formation of the new select committee.

As Republicans jockeyed for influence in the race to replace him, Boehner lashed out at the conservative groups and lawmakers who made his position untenable, including Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, calling them “false prophets” who made “unrealistic” demands.

He said they “whip people into a frenzy believing they can accomplish things they know, they know are never going to happen.”

The US Congress faces several important fiscal deadlines, including a transportation spending bill needed in October and a larger budget deal that would go beyond the 10-week extension to be passed next week.

The speaker’s resignation frees him to put legislation to House votes without fear of a move to oust him.

“I expect that I might have a little more cooperation from some around town to get as much finished as possible,” Boehner said. “I don’t want to leave my successor a dirty barn.”

Boehner resigned amid deep divisions among House Republicans over a range of issues including a September 30 deadline to approve new funding for federal agencies.