The House Republican conference on Wednesday voted to elevate Rep. Paul Ryan to speaker of the House, ending weeks of uncertainty over who could win enough support in the fractious GOP to succeed John Boehner.
Ryan, R-Wis., won enough support to become the GOP’s Speaker-designate, which only took a majority of the 247 members of the House. He got 200 votes to Rep. Daniel Webster’s 43 votes; conservatives supported Webster of Florida as a better choice to help ensure all members have an equal voice as the House considers legislation.
A few votes went to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
On Thursday, Ryan will need the support of a majority of all House members participating in the election of the nation’s 54th House speaker — 218 if all members vote. While he fell short of that number today, Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, said Ryan would get at least the 218 votes he needs to win in the full House.
Other said conservatives will rally behind Ryan on Thursday. “It’s the primary today and tomorrow’s the general,” Freedom Caucus member Trent
Frank explained. Ryan’s platform, presented to the GOP conference, calls for moving Republicans from “being an opposition party to a proposition party” that would work to steer the nation onto the right path.
Republicans chose Ryan, 45, in a private meeting held in an office building adjacent to the Capitol. His nominating speech was delivered by a GOP conference favorite, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who some lobbied to run for speaker and who is now chairing the special committee investigating the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.
Ryan’s election became somewhat of a foregone conclusion after the most conservative House faction agreed last week to support his candidacy.
But there was some question about whether he might lose some conservative support after declaring Wednesday morning that he would back a bipartisan budget deal that suspends the debt limit and increases federal spending by $80 billion. Many conservatives oppose the deal, which will pass only because of strong Democratic support.
Ryan’s election followed several weeks of turmoil in the House that began with Boehner’s surprise Sept. 25 announcement that he planned to resign at the end of October. Ryan at that time rejected calls for him he run to replace Boehner, citing his desire to spend time with his family, and his satisfaction serving as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., quickly became the frontrunner. But McCarthy’s weak support began to collapse in early October following a flubbed interview about the Benghazi special committee that handed talking points to Hillary Clinton supporters. McCarthy dropped out on Oct. 8, moments before an internal election for Speaker was scheduled.
“The selection of Paul Ryan as our next speaker marks an important step toward unifying our conference,” McCarthy said after the GOP election. “The challenges we face as a nation call for leaders with the skill set and values that Paul has demonstrated all his life.”
Once McCarthy dropped out, top lawmakers immediately began lobbying Ryan once again, led by Boehner. Ryan spent a week mulling it over, and returned to Capitol Hill last week with a set of conditions that had to be met in exchange for his agreement to run for speaker.
Chief among his demands was that the typically divided GOP unite behind his candidacy. For the most part, Ryan has achieved that goal, but only after backroom negotiations with the most conservative House faction, the Freedom Caucus, which is lobbying for rules changes that they say are needed to prevent them from being marginalized.
Ryan said he agrees the House leadership structure requires “fixes,” and told the GOP conference earlier this month that they need to be updated “so that everyone can be a more effective representative.”
Ryan’s election to speaker-designate comes hours before the House takes a critical vote on the sweeping budget deal. Ryan told reporters earlier this week that the secretive process that led to the deal “stinks,” and that if elected speaker, he will open up the process so that lawmakers have more input in deciding legislation.
Boehner plans to retire on Friday, Oct. 30.
