WASHINGTON (AP) — All three House Republican groups that Rep. Paul Ryan said must support him before he runs for speaker have lined up behind him. That makes it all but certain that he will take the chamber’s top job.
The huge Republican Study Committee represents mainstream House conservatives and claims over 170 members. It said Thursday Ryan is “the right person to lead the House going forward.”
Minutes earlier, the Tuesday Group, representing GOP moderates, praised him for being thoughtful and willing to work across the aisle.
Both groups’ support had been expected.
Ryan cleared his biggest hurdle late Wednesday, when most members of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus voted to support him.
The House is scheduled to choose the new speaker next week.
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It is good that you differentiated between “support” and “endorsement.” He has enough votes or support to gain the speakership. However, the precondition of an endorsement from the various caucuses has not been met. It will be interesting how Ryan proceeds from here. My view is nothing has really changed. Old gridlock, meet new gridlock.
Did the, um, freedumb caucus agree to his terms? It doesn’t sound like they did at all, though they got him to assure them that he’d follow the self-imposed “hassert rule” to make absolutely certain that no bipartisanship breaks out on his watch. In short, if he accepts, he caved to them.
Thank GOD that is over. The Ryan career doomsday clock has now been set. Resigns his seat in Congress after Hill wins and congress becomes much more blue? Any takers?
He’s already pre-registered his excuse - “more time with the family”
He was going to cave on his demands from the get go. In my opinion he was told he had no choice. Either he plays ball or shit gets very chilly for him. When McCarthy choked, Ryan suddenly had the prettiest mouth in prison. Nothing he could do.
My wild guess is that he will run it for the rest of this session with the hope that nobody acts like a huge asshole and makes him look like a Boehner. Then he gets to go back to this precious chairmanship and wait his turn at the presidency. If the Teabaggers fuck him then he resigns immediately before he gets too much taint and runs for Governor or Senate or something and leverages that to the presidency.