Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) weighed in Wednesday morning on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) decision not to run for reelection in November.
“Speaker Ryan is a good man who is always true to his word,” Schumer said in a statement. “Even though we disagreed on most issues, in the areas where we could work together I always found him to be smart, thoughtful, and straightforward.
“With his newfound political freedom, I hope the Speaker uses his remaining time in Congress to break free from the hard-right factions of his caucus that have kept Congress from getting real things done,” he continued. “If he’s willing to reach across the aisle, he’ll find Democrats willing and eager to work with him. The job may be made harder because Congressmen Scalise and McCarthy will be competing for the hard-right’s favor, but Speaker Ryan is up to the job.”
It has been reported that Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have been quietly vying for a speakership run in anticipation of Ryan’s retirement.
