House Speaker John Boehner Predicts Paul Ryan Will 'Get Support He's Looking For' to Claim Top Post
Outgoing House Speaker John Boehner throws his support to Rep. Paul Ryan.
— -- House Speaker John Boehner has thrown his support behind Rep. Paul Ryan to succeed him in the top congressional post, predicting the Wisconsin Republican will "get the support he's looking for" from the divided party caucus.
"We all know Paul Ryan. He's a very good member. He works hard. He's very bright. And he has good relationships with all the wings of the party," Boehner told reporters at his weekly news conference this morning.
"I think Paul is going to get the support he's looking for. He laid out a clear vision for how he'd run the speakership, and I think the members responded very well to it."
Ryan told fellow House Republicans at a meeting Tuesday night that he's willing to run for speaker if the party unites behind his leadership and accepts five conditions, including the need to have weekends at home with his family.
Conservative members of the party, including the Republican Study Committee and the House Freedom Caucus, responded cautiously to Ryan's terms. Ryan is expected to meet with both groups to gauge support.
One of the members is already resisting.
Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kansas, a leading conservative, bluntly told reporters this morning that House speaker is not a 9-5, Monday through Friday job.
"The speaker has to work on weekends," he said. "The time commitment is not 40 hours a week."
Boehner, when asked what his message was to members of the House Freedom Caucus, said the speaker's race is about the American people.
"This is not about us as leaders, this is not about us as members," he said.
"I think Paul Ryan would make a great speaker, but this decision is up to the members," Boehner said. "Hopefully, by the end of the week, we'll have a nominee."
The speaker said he set a vote date of next Wednesday for Republicans to nominate their speaker. A vote in the full House to elect the speaker is set for the next day, Oct. 29.
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