Speaker John Boehner will leave Congress, including his speakership, at the end of October.  The New York Times:

Speaker John A. Boehner, under intense pressure from conservatives in his party, will resign one of the most powerful positions in government and give up his House seat at the end of October, throwing Congress into chaos as it tries to avert a government shutdown.

Mr. Boehner made the announcement in an emotional meeting with his fellow Republicans on Friday morning.

Boehner expected to face a challenge to his leadership and may have calculated that he would lose.  Rather than face that humiliation, he can gain respect as a unifier protecting party harmony, while lining up lobbying work that will make him very, very rich.

His seat in the Cincinnati area is a safe GOP seat.

The angry GOP base can scratch a notch on its barrel.