WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) — Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) reportedly told Republicans late Tuesday that he is willing to run for House Speaker — as long as he’s unanimously supported in the move.
Ryan, who has previously been mentioned as a potential Speaker candidate, gave a recruiting pitch for the House Republican Conference Tuesday night, The Hill congressional blog reported. Earlier, he met with the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Following the closed-door meeting, Ryan outlined his view on assuming the leadership post.
“If you can agree to these requests and I can truly be a unifying figure, then I will gladly serve,” Ryan said. “This is not a job I ever sought. This is not a job I ever wanted … I came to the conclusion that this was a dire moment.
“We need to move from being an opposition party to being a proposition party … Our next speaker has to be a visionary one.”
According to some of those present in the private meeting, news reports said, his only condition is that every party caucus must endorse him as House Speaker. Ryan has given Republicans until Friday to unite behind him.
Commentators and lawmakers have both speculated for weeks as to Ryan’s potential candidacy for the House’s top leadership post, which will be officially vacated by Ohio Rep. John Boehner on Oct. 30. Boehner, who has served for nearly five years in the post, announced his abrupt resignation almost a month ago.
Ryan has earned a lot of political capital among congressional Republicans to succeed Boehner, but he has yet to formally announce his intention to run. Tuesday, though, he agreed to meet with tea party hard-liners — who had strongly supported Boehner’s removal — and, later, a larger group of Republicans.
Boehner announced he was stepping aside on Sept. 25, which was immediately followed by a small number of candidates being mentioned to replace him — including House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), R-Utah, and House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), R-Calif.
McCarthy, the House’s top Republican leader after Boehner, remained in the race for 10 days but abruptly dropped out Oct. 8 — which completely opened the field of potential candidates.
Ryan may be an attractive option to Republicans, analysts say, because he is seen by many as a uniting party member who might be able to quell the divisive power struggle the GOP has been fighting in the House in recent months.
“If Paul Ryan can’t unite us, no one can. Who else is out there?” Rep. Peter T. King, R-N.Y., said. “[Failing to elect him] would be a sign of utter dysfunction, total madness.”
Ryan, who also serves as the Ways and Means Committee chairman, also fits the bill of a candidate who has experience in leadership role — a requirement many party members have said they want in the new House leader.
Some conservatives, though, have been more lukewarm to the idea of Ryan as Speaker, The Hill reported, because they are looking for substantial concessions from the Wisconsin Republican in exchange for their support.
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