The 45-year old Ryan, who was the Republican nominee for vice president in 2012, is the youngest speaker to lead the House in 140 years.
Advertisement
Romney and his wife Ann were watching with Ryan’s family inside the House chamber as he took the oath of office.
Ryan said as representatives, the House’s role is to be the voice of the people, which they can not do if they are not united. We represent them. We are supposed to study up and do the homework that they can not do. And I’m not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores. “We are wiping the slate clean”, Ryan said.
“As far back as I can remember, I was working, going back to when I was 8 or 9, throwing newspapers, working at my dad’s bar on Saturdays”, said Boehner.
His appointment makes him the sixth Catholic House Speaker out of the last eight – or seventh taking into account Newt Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism in 2009 after his time as speaker.
“We should all pray for each other, Republican for Democrats and Democrats for Republicans”, he said. “We need to let every member contribute, not just once they’ve earned their stripes, but now”. Open up the process.
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi received 184 votes, while Daniel Webster, the rebellious conservative who launched a long-shot bid for speaker last month, received nine votes.
“It’s not until you hold this gavel, stand in this spot”, he said, “as if America is sitting right in front of you … you feel the weight of the responsibility, the gravity of this moment”. “Wherever you come from, whatever you believe, we are all in the same boat”.
That strategy will rely mostly on an air campaign and aiding moderate forces within Syria.
“He’s an innovative thinker who’s focused on giving more Americans more opportunity to achieve the American dream and I think he’s got the skill set to do this job and frankly I’m very confident he’ll do it well”, Boehner said. U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisconsin, said he hoped the new speaker will put the needs of Wisconsin first. “No more favors for the few”.
The Republican conference now seems eager to rally behind Ryan for the post-Boehner era. Also, although he voted against repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell”, he subsequently called the matter a settled issue and won’t try to reinstate the discriminatory policy.
Advertisement
News of the election was greeted with applause and a standing ovation. “I welcome ideas and helping hands from any lawmaker, expert, or citizen about how we can make this institution function again”.
