A look at Speaker Boehner's career in Congress

Pressed by tea party lawmakers to threaten again a partial government shutdown unless federal funding for Planned Parenthood ends.

Engineered with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi an extraordinary bipartisan accord that let both parties claim credit for strengthening the finances of the costly Medicare health care program, in particular, doctors' fees.

Invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address U.S. lawmakers in March about his opposition to President Barack Obama's emerging nuclear agreement with Iran without consulting the White House or Democratic leaders.

In a low point for the speaker, conservatives ignored his advice and embraced a politically disastrous strategy of partially shutting down the government for 16 days in a futile effort to force repeal of Obama's new health care law.

Held high-stakes negotiations with Obama to avoid a showdown on the "fiscal cliff," a combination of across-the-board spending cuts and tax increases that economists warned could send the U.S. economy teetering back into recession.

The House, however, would be run by Boehner and a Republican caucus determined to undo much of the Democrats' work starting with Obama's signature health care overhaul.

Worked throughout the year as the Education Committee's chairman with liberal Democrats, including Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Rep. George Miller of California, to pass President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" legislation, considered the most far-reaching federal education bill in nearly four decades.

Was ringleader of the so-called Gang of Seven House freshmen who pressed for strict ethical behavior from then-majority Democrats and insisted on public disclosure of those who had overdrafts at the House bank.

First elected to the House at age 40, after winning the 8th District's Republican primary that ousted a scandal-marred Donald "Buz" Lukens.