House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) seemed confident on Wednesday morning that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) will be able to unite Republicans and win the speakership election at the end of the month.
The outgoing speaker told reporters that he believes Ryan will make a great speaker, but that members will ultimately have to make the decision.
He was asked whether he felt the House Freedom Caucus, a secretive group of conservative members that has already expressed skepticism about Ryan’s bid, would support Ryan after pushing to oust Boehner.
In response, the speaker touted Ryan’s “good relationships with all the wings of the party,” citing that as the key reason the congressman could unite the party.
Boehner reminded the Freedom Caucus that “this is not about us.”
“Our job is to do the right thing for the American people every day,” he said.
Some members have also expressed concern about Ryan’s demand that he spend more time with his family and less time traveling then previous speakers. Boehner told reporters on Wednesday that he worked with Ryan to develop a strategy to help Ryan spend time at home while also fulfilling his leadership duties.
