Another off-the-wall idea: A speaker is not legally required to be a member of the House, and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker and longtime Georgia representative, said he would consider returning if asked.
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The Freedom Caucus is many things, but it is not strategic. But if that is true, it is hard to see how the reforms would improve on the current, creaking, system of party loyalty and majority rule; or, therefore, to avoid the conclusion that Caucus members mainly want a bigger soapbox to impress their constituents with, and hang the tedious business of lawmaking.
With House Republicans desperate for a unifying leader after Speaker John Boehner’s decision to leave Congress, Ryan is unlikely to be voted down despite his immigration stand, Krikorian said.
The comment came amid reports that Boehner, who had originally meant to step down at the end of the month, is working on a bill to raise the debt limit before the nation run out of cash next month.
“He’s a great communicator, the kind of messenger I think our party needs”, Jordan said of Ryan, who is being urged by many colleagues to seek the job. Bill Flores of Waco, Mike Conaway of Midland, Pete Sessions of Dallas and Mike McCaul of Austin – are putting out the word to GOP colleagues that they’re interested in being speaker, but careful to say that is Ryan-contingent.
Westmoreland said the “word is that we’re not going to hear anything until sometime next week”.
Many say Boehner was pushed out of the House by hard-line conservatives.
In addition, the lawmaker serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as well as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “I think he could also be a good Speaker”, Mulvaney said.
The question remains of interest, even though Ryan has said he is not interested in a job that would put him second in line to succeed the president. And Paul Ryan, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, is now seen as maybe the only member who can garner support from both the establishment and right-wing blocs. Through all those moves, factions from the tea party and freedom caucus have remained with their midweek decision to support U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, of Florida. Democrats don’t vote for the House Speaker because they aren’t in the majority. “That’s why it’s so important we pick a true conservative”.
“They’ll get a honeymoon”, Bost said. “He’s really changed the way we think about and approach fiscal issues”, Cole said. Even if a complete shutdown strategy is not possible, the conservatives believe that a more aggressive legislative strategy (for example, blocking parts of continuing resolutions authorizing spending) might be effective.
And as he’s made reforming the massive tax code a top priority, Ryan would nearly certainly have to give up much of his policy portfolio in order to take the job of managing the raucous House.
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When he announced his resignation, Boehner said he was ready to clean up a few outstanding issues for his successor – which Washington took as a signal on the debt limit. “I was standing about 10 feet away in the Republican Conference when he said, ‘By the way, there’s one other thing…’ and I thought ‘Where are you going here?'” The outgoing Speaker, John Boehner, a chain-smoking Republican from Ohio, will be entitled to a million dollars a year, for five years, to “facilitate the administration, settlement and conclusion of matters pertaining to” his five-year tenure.
