Speaking Tuesday, Rep. Paul Ryan said he would consider running for Speaker of the House.
Prior to McCarthy’s sudden withdrawal from the Speaker race, Paul adamantly denied any interest in running for the gavel. Paul is now reluctantly willing to reconsider leading up the House Republican caucus if he can be, “a unifying figure.”
Paul listed four conditions to accepting the job:
“Basically I made a few requests for what I think is necessary, and I asked to hear back by the end of the week.First, we need to move from being an opposition party to a proposition party. Because we think the nation is on the wrong path, we have a duty to show the right one. Our next speaker needs to be a visionary one.Second, we need to update our House rules so that everyone can be a more effective representative. This is, after all, the people’s house. But we need to do it as a team. And it needs to include fixes that ensure we don’t experience constant leadership challenges and crisis.Third, we, as a conference, should unify now, and not after a divisive speaker election.The last one is personal. I cannot and will not give up my family time. I may not be able to be on the road as much as previous speakers, but I pledged to make up for it with more time communicating our message.What I told the members is, if you can agree to these requests, and I can truly be a unifying figure, then I will gladly serve. And, if I am not unifying, that is fine as well. I will be happy to stay where am, at the Ways and Means Committee.
The Wisconsin Representative went on to describe the challenges facing the next Speaker of the House and further addressed his personal concerns about being away from his children during their formative years:
“It is our duty to serve the people the way they deserve to be served. It is our duty to make the tough decisions this country needs to get back on track.The challenges we face today are too difficult and demanding for us to turn our backs and walk away.Global terror . . . wars on multiple fronts . . . a government grown unaccountable, unconstitutional, and out-of-touch . . . persistent poverty, a sluggish economy, flat wages and a sky-rocketing debt.But we cannot take them on alone. Now, more than ever, we must work together.All of us are representatives of the people—all the people. We have been entrusted by them to lead.One thing I’ve learned from my upbringing in Janesville is that nothing is ever solved by blaming people. We can blame the president. We can blame the media. We can point fingers across the aisle. We can blame each other. We can dismiss our critics and criticism as unfair.People don’t care about blame. They don’t care about effort. They care about results. Results that are meaningful. Results that are measurable. Results that make a difference in their daily lives.I want to be clear about this. I still think we are an exceptional country with exceptional people and a republic clearly worth fighting for. It’s not too late to save the American idea, but we are running out of time.Make no mistake: I believe that the ideas and principles of results-driven, common-sense conservatism are the keys to a better tomorrow—a tomorrow in which all of God’s children will be better off than they are today….I have shown my colleagues what I think success looks like, what it takes to unify and lead, and how my family commitments come first. I have left this decision in their hands, and should they agree with these requests, then I am happy and willing to get to work. Thank you.”
Several Congressional members who publicly considered running immediately after McCarthy’s withdrawal have thrown their support behind Ryan.
Aside from his Vice Presidential run in 2012, Ryan has a tendency to avoid the spotlight, keep his head down, and concentrate on his work for the House Ways and Means Committee.
Despite his popularity, Ryan’s previous tangles with immigration issues have some Republicans concerned. Speaking to the House Freedom Caucus, Ryan promised not to pursue immigration reform should he be elected speaker.
To date, there has emerged no other candidate for the gavel who is both 1) able to win, and 2) more conservative.
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