In a surprising move, Speaker of the House John Boehner has decided to resign from his post effective Oct. 30-vacating the position in the middle of the term.

The announcement came just one day after the Pope's historic address to Congress during his U.S. visit, and in a statement, Boehner credited the turmoil in leadership in the government for aiding in his decision.

"Is it my view, however, that prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution. To that end, I will resign the SPeakership and my seat in Congress on October 30," he said.

According to The New York Times, Boehner's decision is potentially a move to also help lessen the chance of a government shutdown next week, which has been threatened after several Republicans threatened not to vote for a bill that wouldn't defund Planned Parenthood. By resigning, Boehner lessens the chance of a shutdown because any moves he wishes to make would no longer be deterred by those who threatened his job.

On social media, most of the reactions to the news has been positive from both sides-with several Conservatives celebrating the news because they considered him to be a traitor to their cause.

However, several more liberal-minded users have praised his stepping down because they feel he has been a threat to any change that Democrats-and most specifically, President Obama, have tried to pass through over the years, saying that they think this is a good move because it removes the person they've seen as an obstacle,

Others just shared elation by cracking jokes at Boehner's often orange tinted tan that he had:

But, some took to Twitter to express concern over his stepping down because the Speaker of the House is still a position controlled by the Republican Party-and many have expressed worry that Boehner stepping down could mean that someone they deem as more radical could take over.

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