Paul Ryan House Speaker: Wisconsin Republican “Thinking” About Replacing John

Boehner said he would remain in his job until a new speaker was installed, an ironic outcome considering conservatives’ desire to shove him out the door.

“There isn’t a race for speaker at this point”, he said. “Paul Ryan can do that”.

Issa said he would not campaign until Ryan’s candidacy was “put to rest”.

“Power doesn’t like to give up its power, and so that’s why many of us have gotten behind Mr. Webster”, Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, a Freedom Caucus member, said outside Thursday’s meeting. “Congress will still function”, he said. We’re one big happy family. But King was damning about the situation.

“The person next to me was crying”, he said. But t became increasingly clear that McCarthy would not have the support of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of more hard-line conservative lawmakers who have banded together to block Republicans from making concessions to Democrats on key pieces of legislation.

She thanked fellow lawmakers for their support and prayers and said she was sorry they had received the emails.

On paper, Ryan is a strong candidate.

The next speaker will have to answer to a newly assertive conservative wing at a time when the party is trying to show voters they can govern effectively ahead of the November 2016 presidential elections.

U.S Rep. Jason Chaffetz shares a moment with his wife Julie Chaffetz in his office October 7 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Rep. Chaffetz is running in the race to succeed Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner. McCarthy says, “I don’t want to go to the floor and win with 220 votes”.

Ryan has credibility with both camps and is seen as a unifying figure in the raucous Republican ranks. “The meeting was held to discuss the House GOP’s path forward after McCarthy’s stunning decision to abruptly drop out of the Speaker race on Thursday”. There are still 2 candidates in the Speaker’s race if Ryan doesn’t get in, but the list of candidates is bound to grow. He also described Ryan as “the smartest kid in the class”. McCaul’s account was confirmed by another GOP lawmaker who was in the room but asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the conversations. Gowdy has forcefully said on many occasions that he is not interested in any leadership positions.

So with all of this pressure and support from his party, why isn’t Ryan jumping at the chance? “Even though Republicans are in charge of the Senate, we still need a half-dozen votes to move legislation”, referring to the six Democratic votes needed to reach 60.

Finding a replacement for Boehner, of West Chester, has consumed Republicans as Congress faces a series of pressing decisions, from raising the government’s borrowing authority to funding federal agencies through September.