House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Wednesday that he thinks Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would be an “outstanding” speaker of the House.
“He’s very bright, very hardworking [and] very issue-focused,” Hoyer said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday. “If he wants to lead in a constructive, positive, bipartisan way, he has the ability to do that, and I hope that’s what he does.”
Hoyer’s comments came about a week after another key Democratic figure, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, said he’s a “fan” of Ryan’s.
But Hoyer also said Ryan wouldn’t have an easy job given the internal struggles of House Republicans.
“In order to be an outstanding leader, you got to have outstanding followers and the problem the Republicans have had is that they’re a deeply divided party and have rendered their leadership dysfunctional,” Hoyer said. “As a body, we have not functioned in an effective manner because we have been too partisan and too divided.”
House Republicans are holding a closed-door nominating hearing Wednesday afternoon to vote for the next House speaker. Ryan, considered the favorite, faces a long-shot challenge from Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla.
Formal floor votes are then scheduled for Thursday ahead of Boehner’s planned resignation Friday.
