Paul Ryan Elected US House of Representives Speaker Thursday Oct 29,2015

 

Republican Paul Ryan from Wisconsin has been elected as the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives

The 45-year-old Mr Ryan was Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate in the 2012 election

Paul Ryan gives the Republican-controlled Congress the kind of compelling, charismatic leader it has sorely lacked since Newt Gingrich first rocketed to prominence more than two decades ago

Hesitant to run at first, he eventually gained support of the majority of Republicans in Congress to succeed John Boehner of Ohio for the job.

Paul Ryan won 236 votes among the chamber's 247 Republicans to be elected speaker, abandoned by only a handful of conservatives who mounted repeated revolts that pushed out his predecessor, John Boehner, who retired.
Ryan said in a speech after the vote that infighting in the Republican-majority House had been counterproductive and added to the legislative gridlock in Washington.
"We're not solving problems, we're adding to them and I am not interested in laying blame," Ryan said.
"We are not settling scores, we are wiping the slate clean," Ryan added to applause.

Paul Ryan's main Republican challenger, Representative Daniel Webster of Florida, received nine votes from members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus and other conservatives who frequently battled with Boehner by pressing for quicker progress in shrinking government.

As the 54th speaker, Ryan's first challenge will be to avoid a government shutdown on Dec. 11 when funds for an array of federal agencies expire.