Paul Ryan's Departure & the Future of the House
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) recently announced he will not seek re-election and will instead retire from Congress next year. Ryan has been in Congress since 1998 and became speaker of the House in 2015 when he replaced John Boehner. Now, after serving his Wisconsin constituents for two decades (and running as vice president on Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential ticket), Ryan has publicly stated he is looking to spend more time with his family.
Right now, it remains unclear who will succeed Ryan, and whether his retirement will have an outsized impact in the 2018 congressional midterm elections. But pundits believe his departure could certainly have an impact.
Here are five facts you need to know about the speaker role, Ryan’s departure, and what it could mean for House Republicans:
1. The Speaker of the House is an important role on Capitol Hill. The speaker is elected by all House of Representatives members and serves as the head of the legislative body, representing it with “the Senate, the President, and the public,” according to VOA News. He or she is also second in line to succeed the president (after the vice president).
2. Ryan’s major accomplishments as speaker include the tax reform passed last year. He also cites giving military spending a substantial boost (an additional $80 billion) as one of his greatest achievements in office.
3. Ryan has endorsed House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to succeed him. In an interview with “Meet The Press,” Ryan said that “[Republican leadership] all think Kevin is the right person” for the job. McCarthy represents California’s 23rd district, which includes the greater Bakersfield area, and is reportedly close to President Trump.
4. Historically, speakers of the House have been unpopular with the public. According to analysis from CNN, Paul Ryan and his immediate predecessors, including John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Hastert, and Newt Gingrich, all became significantly less popular once assuming this role.
5. Ryan is not the only GOP member retiring from Capitol Hill, though he is the most high-profile. The House of Representatives Press Gallery shows that as of April 17th 2018, 55 Republicans are not seeking re-election (with 38 retiring from public office altogether). This opens up important congressional races throughout the country. Democrats have a good chance at winning many of these seats; they need 23 victories to take back the House.
No Labels is an organization of Democrats, Republicans, and independents working to bring American leaders together to solve problems.
