Speaker Paul Ryan says President-elect Trump’s appointment of Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff should be comforting to people who are concerned about what his administration would look like, and how it will act.
Ryan, speaking on local Wisconsin radio, said he believes people who are worried about Trump’s election are overreacting and need to relax. He said his victory speech and Priebus’ appointment show that he’s ready to work on behalf of the American people.
“It’s a very, very, very good sign of things to come,” he said. “I have spoken with President-elect Trump pretty much every day since the election. We’re working very hard at getting on the same page and getting things done quickly.”
Ryan was not asked about the appointment of Steve Bannon, the former executive chairman of Breitbart News, to the role of chief strategist. Bannon’s appointment has been criticized by civil rights groups for what they say are Breitbart’s anti-Semitic, anti-feminist and racist stories.
Ryan said he’s not surprised many people were caught off-guard by Trump’s election but wants tensions to simmer down.
“There is a lot of hysteria and hyperbole out there,” he said. “I would tell people just to relax and things are going to be fine.”
Ryan said if people want to know what Trump’s legislative agenda could look like, they should search for the Better Way agenda Ryan has been pushing for months. He said there’s real substance there people could anticipate the Trump administration working on in Congress under a unified Republican government.
“Take a look at the substance and remember the fact that 70 percent of Americans believe the country’s on the wrong track,” Ryan said. “They did not want an administration that would continue to take us on the same track.”
The Wisconsin Republican added there would be fewer legislative priorities in Congress during the lame-duck session in preparation for Trump administration to come into office on Jan. 20.
He said the House would work on passing the 21st Century Cures Act to try and hasten the search for a cure to cancer, pass mental health reform and pass appropriations bills before the end of the session in December.
