Paul Ryan (R-WI) is almost certainly going to be voted in as the new speaker of the house by his Republican colleagues Thursday. This comes as a result of John Boehner’s (R-OH) September announcement that he will be retiring from the position.
Although many originally thought that U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) would be taking the gavel from Boehner, that notion quickly decimated as Republicans felt it was time for new leadership to reignite the party. McCarthy quickly dropped out of the race and rumors swirled around finding the most-fit replacement. Insert Paul Ryan, who originally had no plans of running. Nonetheless, leadership went to the 45-year-old from Janesville, Wisconsin, because of his broad ability to create solutions instead of problems—something the American people got to witness during his time as Mitt Romney’s running mate back in 2012.
Ryan, who was the chairman for the House Ways and Means Committee up until today, meticulously negotiated from a position of strength to his fellow House Republicans. As the former chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan worked to find a solution to pass a budget that gained support from America while passing a Democratic controlled senate back in 2013. Ryan’s ability to work with both sides will be put right to the test, as there are many pressing issues on his agenda.
However, Boehner gave Ryan some breathing room as he and President Obama agreed on a budget deal that will keep the government funded until 2017. Both sides have agreed that this new deal is a good one for our troops, domestic policies and the average taxpayer. I’m hopeful this will serve as a sign that the outgoing relationship Boehner worked on with the President will continue with Paul Ryan. Even though the debt-ceiling crisis was solved for him right before his oath into office, Ryan will still need to make impactful deals and decisions in office. From tax reform to immigration, nothing is off the table for Ryan to leave his legacy as one of the greats. Although Ryan has sworn to change the way management is currently run in the house, he will have some convincing to do with the American people.
In a time where America needs some sort of leadership coming from D.C., Ryan is willing to step up and do the job. The family man—who enjoys going to his local church and Packers games on Sunday with his children while spending time in his district talking to constituents—will now have his plate full as one of the most scrutinized public officials. Just like 2012, Ryan is again ready to find solutions to Washington’s many problems. He has already begun gluing back together factions in the GOP. Republicans need to deliver their promises they made to the American people when they overwhelmingly gained control of both houses in 2014. Ryan’s leadership is needed to pass important reforms with a president who will not do much negotiating in his lame duck years. All the while, it can reunite a party, and a nation, that is seeking to place a real leader in the White House in 2016.
Peter Hinman is a senior majoring in political science.
