Paul Ryan backs Tom Price for majority leader

There was a meeting of lobbyist supporters of Scalise Monday to discuss strategy to help advance Scalise’s campaign for majority leader.

Ryan told reporters on Friday that he would not be running for any leadership positions but waited until Monday to endorse Price.

“He will support Chairman Price for Majority Leader”.

Republican Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana, who chairs the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources and has worked closely with Ryan on welfare reform and other issues, said he will support Scalise for the majority leader’s job.

Ryan, who preceded Price as Budget Committee chairman, called the Georgia Republican a committed conservative and friend. That bid is becoming more clear this morning with Jeb Hensarling of Texas declining a run for the position, instead deferring to whip votes for Price.

“He and I have served for years together on the Budget and Ways and Means Committees, working to pay down our debt, fix our tax code, and grow our economy, ” Ryan said in a statement.

Scalise said his priority as House Majority Leader would be to unite Republicans behind an agenda to move the country forward. But Hensarling passed on a leadership bid as recently as a year ago, ultimately deciding not to challenge Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in the race for the No. 2 job after then-Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was ousted from office in his GOP primary. “He will support Chairman Price for Majority Leader”.

Hensarling, who represents portions of East Dallas and the western portions of East Texas, has been in the U.S. House since 2002 and chairs the House Financial Services Committee.