Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) office is denying reports that Ryan plans to resign in coming weeks, Ryan’s spokesperson AshLee Strong told TPM Tuesday.
“The speaker is not resigning,” Strong said.
Ryan’s office was responding Monday to comments from Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), who told a local news outlet on Monday that the “rumor mill” on Capitol Hill is suggesting that Ryan is “getting ready to resign in the next 30 to 60 days.” Amodei told the Nevada Newsmakers that Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) would be elected to replace him as speaker.
“Now that is interesting, because no one has talked to members on how they are going to vote,” Amodei said Monday. “Now, maybe they have talked to all of the members but me. I don’t know, so that is the rumor mill from last week.”
Scalise’s office has denied the claims as well, telling The Washington Examiner that Scalise “fully supports” Ryan as Speaker of the House.
Late last year, Ryan’s office also had to deflect rumors that he was planning to retire, which were perpetrated by reports from The Huffington Post and Politico that said Ryan wanted to serve as speaker through the end of his term and then leave Congress altogether.