Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, said yesterday that he would seek to replace John A. Boehner as House Speaker after the House Freedom Caucus agreed to endorse him on Wednesday. Ryan signaled earlier in the week that a Freedom Caucus endorsement would be a prerequisite to his agreeing to serve as speaker.
In addition, over the past 48 hours, Ryan was successful in wringing pledges of support from the two major House GOP caucuses, representing moderates and mainstream conservatives and hardliners. The support from the Freedom Caucus was far from assured, given its rebellious members were responsible for forcing Boehner to the exit and the abrupt end of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) bid for the speakership, Boehner’s most likely successor.
“I never thought I’d be speaker,” Ryan said in a lengthy email to his Republican colleagues. “But I pledged to you that, if I could be a unifying figure, then I would serve, I would go all in. After talking with so many of you and hearing your words of encouragement, I believe we are ready to move forward as one, united team. And, I am ready and eager to be our speaker,” Ryan said.
The House Freedom Caucus, a group of nearly 40 conservative lawmakers, signaled on Wednesday that they would support House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) to become the next House Speaker.
The House Freedom Caucus did not provide Ryan an official endorsement, which would have required 80 percent support, but members said a “supermajority” of the caucus would back a Ryan bid for speaker. Ryan insisted on conditions under which he would consider the role of House Speaker, including unity among the warring factions among the House Republican conference. Gaining support of the House Freedom Caucus was one of those obstacles to meet Ryan’s conditions.
“It’s time for everybody to work together and make the Republican Party stronger,” said Rep. Raul R. Labrador (R-ID), a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus. “That’s what we’re trying to do, even with the reservation that some people have about Paul Ryan being speaker.” Meanwhile, many mainstream conservatives see Ryan, at this point, as the best chance to unit their fractious party.
One sticking point for the Freedom Caucus was their endorsement of Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) earlier this month. Webster said this week that he would not stand aside for Ryan. “People are responding to what I’m saying. They’re sick of how this place is run, of the dog-and-pony shows on committees. They want a return to bills from members being considered, rather than approving the leadership’s bills”
Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, Boehner announced that Republicans will vote internally to nominate a speaker next Wednesday, with a floor vote to follow Thursday.
