Former House Speaker John Boehner cried when his official portrait was revealed

Sarah Brookbank
Cincinnati Enquirer

Former House Speaker John Boehner, of West Chester, cried when his official portrait was revealed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday. 

Crying is par for the course with the Ohioan, who was often seen bleary-eyed during his tenure as a congressman. 

The portrait, painted by artist Ronald Sherr, shows Boehner with a suit and a red tie and seated on a leather couch, the Hill reported. 

According to the Hill, during its unveiling, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell poked fun at Boehner's penchant for crying and smoking.

Former House Speaker John Boehner wipes tears during a ceremony to unveil a portrait honoring him on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Michael A. McCoy)

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Even Boehner himself made a joke about it. 

“I see Madame Speaker took care of me. She put a box of tissues down here just in case," Boehner said as he pulled out the box of tissues from the podium. "We'll see how I do."

He did tear up while talking about the friendships he made while serving in Congress. 

Boehner was the 53rd speaker of the House of Representatives. He retired in 2015 after a  25-year career in Congress. He was the Speaker for five years. 

There is another portrait of Boehner, done by President George W. Bush. He said that one hangs in his home in Ohio.

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