On the House audiobook cover - A Washington Memoir

On the House

A Washington Memoir

John Boehner

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Biography & MemoirPolitics

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On the House
Early Life & Values+
Political Beginnings+
Crusading Against Corruption+
2008 Financial Crisis+
The 2008 Election+
Speaker of the House & Exit+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
What did John Boehner consider to be a worse vice than his heavy smoking habit?
  • A. Hypocrisy
  • B. Greed
  • C. Laziness
  • D. Partisanship
Question 2 of 8
What key life lesson did Boehner learn from his youth working at his family's bar, Andy's Café?
  • A. That running a small business requires avoiding government regulations at all costs.
  • B. That the bar was a microcosm of America: democratic, open, hardworking, and community-minded.
  • C. That blue-collar workers inherently lean toward conservative political values.
  • D. That strict rules and regulations are necessary to keep a community in order.
Question 3 of 8
Why did Boehner, who came from a family of lifelong Democrats, ultimately identify as a 'Reagan Republican'?
  • A. He was offered a highly paid position in the Reagan administration.
  • B. He grew frustrated with the Democratic party's stance on foreign policy.
  • C. He was inspired by Reagan's promises to lower taxes, streamline government, and free entrepreneurs.
  • D. He wanted to distance himself from his family's blue-collar roots and appeal to wealthy donors.
Question 4 of 8
What was the core issue of the House bank scandal that Boehner and the 'Gang of Seven' exposed in the 1990s?
  • A. Members of Congress were using the bank to launder campaign donations.
  • B. The bank was charging exorbitant interest rates to newly elected representatives.
  • C. The bank was secretly funding unauthorized foreign military operations.
  • D. Members of Congress were allowed to endlessly overdraw their accounts without paying interest or penalties.
Question 5 of 8
What was Boehner's primary argument against the use of 'earmarks' in federal spending bills?
  • A. They encouraged a culture of venality and waste by buying votes with localized sweetheart deals.
  • B. They unfairly benefited urban districts at the expense of rural communities.
  • C. They gave the President too much power over the legislative branch's budget.
  • D. They primarily funded infrastructure projects that were environmentally destructive.
Question 6 of 8
During the 2008 financial crisis, why did Boehner find it incredibly difficult to convince his fellow Republicans to support President Bush's $700 billion bailout?
  • A. The Republicans believed the bailout amount was far too small to save the global economy.
  • B. Many Republicans felt taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill for poor corporate decisions, and a new faction actively desired government chaos.
  • C. The Republican party wanted to delay the vote to ensure Barack Obama would inherit a failing economy.
  • D. The Democrats had attached strict gun control legislation to the bailout package.
Question 7 of 8
Why did John McCain's grand gesture of suspending his presidential campaign to handle the 2008 bailout negotiations backfire?
  • A. He arrived in Washington without a plan or staff, allowing Barack Obama to look much more presidential and prepared.
  • B. He accidentally revealed classified economic data during a televised press conference.
  • C. He refused to meet with President Bush, causing a massive rift within the Republican party.
  • D. He used the opportunity to demand the immediate resignation of the Treasury Secretary.
Question 8 of 8
How did Boehner characterize his experience leading the modern Republican Party as Speaker of the House starting in 2011?
  • A. As a golden era of bipartisan cooperation and legislative efficiency.
  • B. As a return to the unified, principled conservatism of the Reagan years.
  • C. As being the mayor of 'Crazytown' due to the rise of the right-wing 'freak show set.'
  • D. As a quiet, uneventful period focused strictly on balancing the federal budget.

On the House — Full Chapter Overview

On the House Summary & Overview

On the House (2021) is the memoir of a political maverick and one of the Republican party’s most outspoken representatives. Tracing his life from a Democrat-voting, blue-collar household in Cincinnati through to his crusading career on Capitol Hill, John Boehner tells us how Washington really works and dishes the dirt on enemies and allies alike.

Who Should Listen to On the House?

  • Politics buffs
  • Liberals interested in the other side of the story
  • Old-school conservatives

About the Author: John Boehner

John Boehner served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he was the representative for Ohio's Eighth Congressional District from 1991 to 2015. Today he is a senior policy advisor at Squire Patton Boggs and serves on the Steward Health Care board of directors.

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