Livewire

Paul Ryan: There’s No GOP Civil War, Boehner Just Got Emotional

by Sahil Kapur

12.16.13 | 7:22 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

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) told a Wisconsin-based radio station on Monday that there is no GOP “civil war” over the bipartisan budget deal he struck, despite tea party opposition.

He downplayed Speaker John Boehner’s fierce criticism of outside conservative groups who bashed the agreement — the Ohio Republican said last week they’ve “lost all credibility.”

“I think John’s emotions got ahead of him a bit,” Ryan told 620WTMJ radio’s Charles Sykes.

“I credit the tea party with helping get our mojo back,” he said, calling the outside groups “absolutely essential” to the conservative agenda.

Send Tips

Sahil Kapur Sahil Kapur is TPM's senior congressional reporter and Supreme Court correspondent. His articles have been published in the Huffington Post, The Guardian and The New Republic. Email him at sahil@talkingpointsmemo.com and follow him on Twitter at @sahilkapur.

Paul Ryan: There’s No GOP Civil War, Boehner Just Got Emotional

Start the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com