Ribble Drops Out Of Freedom Caucus Over Focus On Speaker Race

The House No. 3, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, said he’d like to see Ryan the next speaker.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif. walks out of nomination vote meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, October 8, 2015, after dropping out of the race to replace House Speaker John Boehner, who is stepping down and retiring from Congress at the end of the month.

Ryan has insisted that he’s not interested in the post, preferring to focus on his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) said McCarthy’s withdrawal drove a few lawmakers to tears.

Ryan’s spokesman, Brendan Buck, said, “Chairman Ryan appreciates the support he’s getting from his colleagues but is still not running for speaker”.

Forty or so Tea Party Republicans want a speaker who’ll confront the president.

“I think you’re having a breakdown of law and order in the House that will be repaired fairly soon”, said Graham.

It’s all about Paul Ryan right now.

Politico, which covers politics in Washington, reported that Kline “repeatedly ducked questions about whether he would serve as a caretaker speaker”.

But despite the many entreaties, the House adjourned for a weeklong recess Friday, and Ryan left his suitors wanting, returning to his family and advisers in Janesville, Wis., to discuss his future, and, he said, to watch the Green Bay Packers game Sunday.

USA Today listed Kline No. 3 on its list of potential speaker candidates.

After members finished their work on the House floor Friday afternoon, they raced off quickly to head home, with many declining to talk about speaker’s race. He is a former Marine Corps officer.

The 35- to 40-member conservative Freedom caucus, which prompted the current Republican leadership scramble, wants to weaken the office of the House speaker in a power grab, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said on Friday.

Ryan didn’t speak during the GOP meeting, lawmakers said.

They say the conference’s ability to function is unhampered by the leadership upheaval and that it remains prepared for a hefty fall agenda that will include debate over the debt ceiling and transportation funding. Nearly immediately after McCarthy withdrew from consideration, the Wisconsin congressman once again said he “will not” be a candidate for Speaker.

Multiple House Republican sources say while Ryan is popular among members, he faces numerous same problems that McCarthy had going into Thursday’s election. “And these people would never consider themselves part of a cult as they kneel in their prayer closets and thank God for Rep. Paul Ryan”.

“Some folks feel like they don’t have a voice at the table”, said Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, which before the Freedom Caucus was created was the organization of conservative lawmakers.

And less than an hour after McCarthy’s exit from the race, Ryan released a statement again denying his interest in the position.