WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner may be able to leave office on a high note after meeting the pope and potentially averting another government shutdown. But his abrupt departure has many on Capitol Hill fearing it will leave Congress an even worse, more gridlocked institution.

I'm ... not going to sit around here and do nothing for the next 30 days, Boehner told reporters Friday. I plan on getting in as much as I can before I exit.

That much, at least, was good news to some of Boehner's supporters, who hope that he will use his impending freedom to deal with several lingering long-term problems before he departs at the end of October, including funding the government, paying for the nation's highways and addressing the looming debt limit.

"I hope so. I think that would be a great thing," said Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio). "Let's get some things done."

"I expect to see a very busy month in October," said another Ohio Republican, Rep. Steve Stivers.

New problems will arise, however, once hes gone. Boehners resignation, brought on by the increasing turmoil within his conference, leaves the conservative faction of his party brimming with excitement at the prospect of pursuing what they see as purer, more conservative goals.

If the House Freedom Caucus wanted to move the chamber a little further to the right, this was a necessary step, said Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), a member of the conservative caucus that put Boehner on notice in recent weeks, warning that his future depended on whether he would force through a must-pass bill including a provision that would defund Planned Parenthood.