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Paul Ryan Defends Conservative Groups

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12.15.13 | 4:50 am

Walking with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, right, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the Republican vice presidential candidate, returns to Capitol Hill to vote on a stopgap spending bill that avoids a government shutdown... Walking with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, right, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the Republican vice presidential candidate, returns to Capitol Hill to vote on a stopgap spending bill that avoids a government shutdown but carries a price tag $19 billion higher than the budget he wrote as chairman of the House Budget Committee, in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), one of the budget deal negotiators, on Sunday defended conservative groups criticized by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) for coming out against the budget agreement this week.

“I think these groups are valuable,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.””They’re part of our conservative family. I’d prefer to keep these conversations within our family.”

Ryan did say that he was not pleased that groups opposed the deal so quickly, but still said that the Tea Party is valuable.

“John was frustrated because they came out against our agreement before we even reached an agreement,” he said. “I was frustrated as well. But I see the Tea Party as indispensable.”

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